Hagley Museum and Library, a sprawling spectacle on the banks of Brandywine Creek in Wilmington, Delaware, is the site of the gunpowder works founded in 1802 by E. I. du Pont. The site today includes the ancestral home and gardens of the du Pont family, powder yard, restored mills, and workers’ community. But it’s not all history. Progress is still happening here, as Hagley’s library furthers the study of business and technology in the United States. Bonnie Wirth, group tour manager of the Hagley Museum and Library, shares perspectives about the site and what’s in store for the rest of the year.
Q. Tell us briefly about your professional background and how you got involved with the Hagley Museum and Library.
A. I worked for a group tour company for almost 10 years before coming to Hagley. I spent my days helping older adults plan trips for their groups. This was back when business was done by phone or fax, so as I would hang up from one call, another one would be coming in. As crazy as it was, I excelled at it, and I loved it! The tour company was in New Jersey, and I had moved to Delaware after getting married. Eventually, the commute became too much, and I needed to find a job that was closer to home. That’s when I saw an ad for the tour coordinator job at Hagley. I had visited the museum before and thought it would be a nice place to work, so I applied. Here I am 19 years later! It turned out to be a great decision, and it was a natural fit for me.
Q. What about your position as group tour manager makes it easy to get up in the mornings?
A. The variety of things I do, the fact no two days are the same, the people I get to work with, and the beautiful property where everything happens.
Q. What is the most popular exhibit or feature at Hagley that seems to attract tour groups?
A. Most tour groups come to see the historic powder yard with the demonstrations of water-powered 19th-century machinery. This is where the DuPont Co. produced gunpowder for more than 100 years along the banks of the Brandywine. This is what makes our attraction unique.
Q. What is something you’d like people to know about Hagley that they might not know already?
A. Hagley is part of America’s Garden Capital. There are more than 30 public gardens within 30 miles of Philadelphia, and the historic E. I. du Pont Garden at Hagley is one of them. Our area is an amazing destination for garden enthusiasts.
Q. What are you doing to attract more tour groups?
A. In addition to attending the annual ABA [American Bus Association] Marketplace and other regional group travel shows, I work closely with our area partners at the local CVBs, the state tourism office, and at other area attractions. We all work together to promote the entire region. Hagley helps to tell a cohesive story of the du Pont estates, so I need to be knowledgeable of what the other attractions are offering. I also need to be able to suggest group-friendly restaurants and hotels to planners and operators.
Q. Can you name something in its collection that stands out to you?
A. I always get excited when I have a chance to watch the eprouvette demonstration in the powder yard. The eprouvette is a device used to evaluate gunpowder. Salesmen would use it to compare DuPont powder with the competition. The Hagley demonstrator asks everyone to cover their ears before lighting a fuse that sets off the small explosion. There is a flash, some smoke, and a bang! The device has a wheel that spins when the charge goes off and this measures the blast. This is something all of our tour groups get to experience, and it is always a favorite.
Q. Hagley itself has an interesting history. What stands out?
A. I really enjoy the stories of the different generations of du Pont women who lived here on the property. Victorine du Pont, the daughter of DuPont Co. founder E. I. du Pont, devoted her life to teaching the children of mill workers for more than 39 years in the one-room schoolhouse on our grounds. Louise du Pont Crowninshield, E. I.’s great-granddaughter and last occupant of Hagley’s estate, was one of the founders of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and was a member of the five-person Advisory Committee to redecorate the White House during the Truman administration. She served on boards of many historic sites and did curatorial work that was generally done by men. Visitors to Hagley will see the home furnished much as it was when she lived there until her death in 1958.
Q. What’s new this year?
A. Our new permanent exhibit, “Nation of Inventors,” celebrates the spirit of ingenuity by taking visitors on a journey of American invention, from the early years of the patent system, beginning in the 1790s through the late 1800s. The exhibit features more than 120 patent models from Hagley’s collection. Patent models are scaled representations of inventions and were part of the patent application process for nearly 100 years. “Nation of Inventors” showcases patent models representing innovations in a variety of industries from transportation and manufacturing to food preservation and medical devices.
Q. What’s in store for Hagley the rest of the year?
A. We have a busy year ahead! In addition to adult group tours, school field trips, and general visitation, which are all returning to pre-pandemic levels, we have many events throughout the year. We have smaller, recurring events, like Science Saturdays happening twice a month and Summer Nights every Wednesday evening in the summer. We also have major events like the Hagley Car Show and the Hagley Craft Fair in the fall. December is very busy with holiday tours, the annual gingerbread house contest, and a visit from Santa.
By Andrew Weeks
Main Image: Group tour at Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, Delaware; Credit: Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau
