Northern Delaware is scattered with duPont family mansions and estates. Many of them have been maintained meticulously since they were built, including The Hagley Museum, Winterthur, and Nemours. However, not all of these stunning estates have been kept up. When Hugh Rodney Sharp and Isabella Mathieu du Pont Sharp purchased Gibraltar, it was a stunning home. However, in the years since their passing, the mansion has been left to decay. However, the property is holding quite a beautiful secret.

Have you ever stumbled upon the Gibraltar mansion in Wilmington? This historic estate is crumbling in the middle of the city, but it's hiding an amazing secret.
Wikimedia Commons / John
At first glace, you might be tempted to walk away. The mansion itself is crumbling, and it hasn't been maintained in years.
Flickr / Michael Caruso
However, if you take a second look, you'll see signs pointing towards the back. The Marian Coffin Gardens are thriving on this once-majestic property.
Flickr / Michael Caruso

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The gardens are maintained by Preservation Delaware, who took over the abandoned grounds in 1999.
Flickr / Simon
Over the last two decades, they have worked tirelessly to restore the gardens to their former glory, when they were designed by Marian Coffin herself, starting in 1916.
Facebook / Marian Coffin Gardens at Gibraltar
While the fate of the house and manor remains uncertain, and it has fallen apart to the point where demolition was recommended in the 1990s, the beautiful gardens draw visitors year-round to relax in the natural beauty of a formerly pristine estate.
Flickr / Michael Caruso

You can read more about the Marian Coffin Garden and plan your visit to the stunning estate grounds on the Preservation Delaware website, here.

Have you visited these beautiful gardens? If not, what are you waiting for? This spot in Wilmington is easy to get to and makes for a peaceful and relaxing day trip destination.

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Gibraltar (Hugh Rodney Sharp Mansion), 2505 Pennsylvania Ave, Wilmington, DE 19806, USA