Stonehouse, a circa 1936 Chateau Country home now for sale, was originally built for Crawford H. Greenewalt and his wife, Margaretta “Gret” Lammot duPont.
The 22-acre estate begins when the automatic gates open to a long curved driveway dotted with flowers and flanked by oak trees.
The property, designed by landscape architect Thomas W. Sears, offers panoramic views that will be preserved because the late couple donated 550 surrounding acres to the Delaware Nature Society.
Greenewalt, seventh president of the Dupont Co., was a stickler for safety, so he had his home constructed of steel, concrete and stone. Each floor was built with a 12-inch concrete layer. The walk-up attic has concrete steps and floors as well.
The home’s exterior features French provincial wrought iron balconies, arched dormer windows and a slate roof. Inside, deep windowsills and circular window seats are among the features in this nine-bedroom, 21,000-square foot home.
Guests enter into a large foyer featuring a turned staircase and an arched dome ceiling.
The east wing was built for entertaining with a drawing room large enough for a grand piano. Pocket doors lead to a spacious living room with an Italian marble fireplace. The large dining room features a gas fireplace.
The west wing of the home includes two offices, a chef’s kitchen and butler’s pantry and a comfortable family room that was once Greenewalt’s workroom and darkroom.
The current owners converted the Greenewalt’s screened-in porch into a glass conservatory.
Upstairs, the master bedroom features silk moire wall coverings, a wet bar and a Juliet balcony. The sitting room features a fireplace mantel carved by Irene Sophie duPont. Four other ensuite bedrooms all feature French doors and Juliet balconies.
The lower level houses a theater, game arcade, billiard room and a bar resembling an old English pub.
Outside, a striking infinity pool is flanked by a stone-and-tile pool house that features a bar, a fully equipped kitchen, a laundry room and a bathroom with stone vessel sinks.
Greenewalt, an avid photographer known for capturing hummingbirds on film, had the area planted with varieties that attract butterflies and hummingbirds, and there is a manicured boxwood garden at the rear of the home.
For car buffs, there is an attached two-car garage and a detached six-car garage. The detached garage features a heated floor and a two-bedroom, one-bath guesthouse upstairs. The estate also includes a three-bedroom caretaker’s home with a four-car garage.
The property is represented by Stephen Mottola, a sales associate with Long & Foster Greenville.
