A photo of Louise du Pont Crowninshield from between 1890 through 1910
The Hagley Museum and Library
Louise Evelina du Pont was born to Henry Algernon DuPont and Mary Pauline Foster at the family estate of Winterthur in Delaware in 1877. She inherited wealth and status from her family’s early nineteenth-century forays into gunpowder and chemical productions, and subsequent involvement in politics and railroads. In 1900, her marriage to Francis Boardman Crowninshield, who himself was member of a wealthy prominent Bostonian family, allowed her the means to explore her passion for historic preservation.
Her involvement with numerous historic preservation efforts throughout the Northeast gradually grew her reputation as an authority on colonial decorative arts. Some examples of the groups and projects that she was affiliated with include the restoration of the Derby House in Salem, Massachusetts, by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, and the restoration of Kenmore Estate, the home of Betty Washington, in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Her presence in the Colonial Revival community attracted the attention of Charles Moore, a commissioner in the U.S. Fine Arts Commission and the Vice-President of the Wakefield National Memorial Association (WNMA). Moore offered to her the position of President of the WNMA after the organization had been left without a representative at the National Monument it had helped create. In 1935 she accepted his offer, and it heralded a shift in focus for the WNMA. This change in direction was felt in the park in two main ways, first in the vision for the Memorial House Museum and second in the relationship between the WNMA and the National Park Service.
Prior to 1935, the Memorial House Museum had been furnished with an amalgamation of assorted reproductions and decorations donated by interested individuals. There was no vision for how the Museum should be furnished. She instructed that they keep, “the relics and furniture of the period prior to 1753 when George Washington was a child,” and dispose of any pieces that were reproductions or not from that era. For the next 5 years, she sourced and acquired authentic period furnishings from all around the United States and Europe. She was so dedicated to the project that she even used her own money to acquire some of the pieces. By 1939 the difference was so noticeable that Acting Director of the National Park Service, J.R. White thanked her on behalf of the Service,
“A few days ago I paid my first visit to George Washington Birthplace National Monument at Wakefield and Superintendent Hough pointed out with particular pride the magnificent collection of colonial furniture which has been assembled in the building. He told me of the great personal interest and the financial assistance that you have given in the collection of this furniture and I desire to express to you, both personally and officially, my appreciation. You have been very modest in claiming credit for this donation and I know that you have a continuing interest in the problems of development at Washington’s Birthplace.”
The furnishing project would be mostly finished in 1940 when the Wakefield National Memorial Association donated the acquired furnishings to the park.
Throughout the entire furnishing project, Mrs. Crowninshield had to forge a strong relationship with Philip Hough, the superintendent. Their relationship was a marked difference from the strained relationship that had occurred previously due to questions concerning the accuracy of the Memorial House Museum. Mrs. Crowninshield encouraged members of the association get involved with the operations of the park in a supporting role that was appreciated by Superintended Hough. WNMA members attend special events at the park in full costume, especially for the annual celebration of Washington’s birthday. She also had the members assist with attending to furnishings when available. Mrs. Crowninshield would also provide support for Philip Hough’s initiatives through her personal and political connections and her financial backing. This relationship would help to steer the dynamics between the park site and the WNMA for the next 15 years.
Following World War II, Mrs. Crowninshield would begin to look for new avenues to fundraise and raise awareness of the organization. The association decided to create a nursery greenhouse to raise plants and flowers that could be sold to visitors. This project appears to have not been initiated with prior National Park Service approval and led to closer scrutiny on the relationship between the organizations. It was during this tumultuous time period for the Wakefield National Memorial Association that Louise du Pont Crowninshield would step down as the President of the organization in 1956. She would pass away two years later.
Her legacy can still be seen in the Memorial House Museum over 80 years later Her broader impact on the world of historical preservation can be seen in the Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award that is National Trust for Historic Preservation’s highest national recognition that was created in 1960 in honor of her work as one of the founding trustees.
Citation
White to Crowninshield, 18 August 1939, (Box 76) file 12, Records of the National Park
Bruggeman, Seth C. George Washington Birthplace National Monument: Administrative History 1930-2000, 2006.
