This website is based on the research of one concerned citizen
and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the people or
organizations quoted here.
Little Murph sits outside the entrance gates of
Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.
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Try clicking, double clicking and hovering over the picture
Silent video tour of
the area surrounding the Murphy House and it's one acre parcel.
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Slated for demolition on
August 03, 2011
October 15, 2011
January 11, 2012
SaveTheMurphyHouse.Org
Countdown:
DEDICATED TO SAVING THE WILLIAM MURPHY HOUSE
Located at 1601 Rockland Road Wilmington, Delaware 19803
Is the Bell Tower next?
News Journal video on the demolition 01/11/12
Nemours
Foundation Demolishes the Historic Murphy House,
gains an acre of prime commercial real estate.
(story)
Nemours decides
to move forward with demolition.
Little Murph is down. Sorry.
(story)
Strategy Meeting held Sep 21st, 2011 Plans
discussed (story)
Meeting held at
Nemours about Murphy House (story)
News-Journal
Article by Robin Brown
Aug 29th, 2011 (story)
Little Murph given reprieve:
60 more days to live.
(story)
Alfred I.
duPont's Will and Testament:
As for
the 300-acre Nemours estate in Wilmington, Alfred
indicated that the Trustees' first duty was "to care for
the mansion and grounds and gardens surrounding
Nemours in order that they be maintained for the
pleasure and benefit of the public in their present
condition and the grounds improved from time to
time, as their funds warrant."
http://www.alfrediduponttrust.org/trust/dupont_broch.pdf
Page 17
This website represents the independent research of one
concerned citizen in an effort to save one of Delaware's
oldest residences: The William Murphy House.
Last updated May 16, 2012
The property was
deeded over to The Nemours Foundation in 2008 by
Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) for $10,
with the condition that Nemours would preserve the house
in perpetuity. Nemours runs the Nemours Mansion
and Gardens and the Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for
Children in Wilmington, Delaware.
Nemours has announced that it will demolish the house on
August 3, 2011. No one other than the organization
called Preservation Delaware has made an effort to stop
the demolition.
I have contacted numerous local officials and
politicians to enlist help in stopping demolition of not
just the Murphy House, but of many other properties that
deserve the respect they deserve for surviving so many
years. This website summarizes my results.
The results are ongoing and will be updated as things
change.
"I sympathize with
your fight regarding the Murphy House. Andy
Wyeth's last painting, practically, was painted
while sitting in front of it. Maybe his only
painting ever done in Delaware?"
I took it upon myself to draw the line at the gates of
Nemours. If a responsible, dedicated, philanthropic
organization like Nemours can get away with ignoring
their promises to preserve, and no one objects, then no
historic building is safe in Delaware. Savethemurphyhouse.org consists of one member, one
citizen who cares: me. I decided to check around
with various politicians and preservation groups and put
together an overall picture of the attitudes of various
stake holders towards historic preservation in Delaware.
This is a synopsis of my research.
-Larry Hoover of Wilmington, Delaware