A Short History of the DuPont Country Club

Although the DuPont Country Club was founded in 1920, the roots of a recreational club for DuPont employees can be traced back to the 1880’s. The Eleutherian Mills Mansion on the grounds of the Hagley Museum was the location for the Rokeby Club. As members of the Rokeby Club, employees enjoyed sports and activities up through the turn of the 20th century.

A few years later, across the Brandywine River at the DuPont Experimental Station, after work employee activities had expanded to include the DuPont Gun Club, the DuPont Athletic Association for the nascent sport of baseball, and a small group of tennis players. This diverse group of sports enthusiasts incorporated in May 1920 to form the DuPont Country Club.

The original club facilities consisted of a two-story frame house that housed the gun club, a baseball diamond with a grandstand, and three tennis courts. By late 1922, a 9-hole golf course was constructed by local pro Wilfrid Reid, and five new tennis courts were added.