Rockwood Mansion was completed in 1854 as the retirement home of Wilmington native Joseph Shipley, who amassed his fortune as a merchant banker while living in Liverpool, England. Shipley hired Liverpool architect George Williams to design a Rural Gothic style home similar to his country house in England. The gardens were designed to imitate nature, with rolling lawns, curving paths, and carefully placed trees resembling an English country estate. In 1891 Shipley's great nephew Edward Bringhurst Jr. inherited the estate and moved into Rockwood with his family the following year. The Bringhurst family extensively redecorated the mansion's interior, and members of the family lived there until 1972, when New Castle County obtained ownership. Rockwood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Photo: Bill Pfingsten

Photo: Bill Pfingsten

Photo: Bill Pfingsten

Photo: Bill Pfingsten

Photo: Bill Pfingsten

Photo: Bill Pfingsten

Photo: Bill Pfingsten