Winterthur, DE June 22, 2007—A flock of heritage merino sheep has ...

Media Contact:
Hillary K. Holland
302.888.4734
hholland@winterthur.org
Fax: 302.888.4820
For Immediate Release
WINTERTHUR WELCOMES WOOLY RESIDENTS:
MERINO SHEEP MOVE INTO WINTERTHUR BARN
Winterthur, DE June 22, 2007—A flock of heritage merino sheep has taken up residence at Winterthur Museum
& Country Estate as part as of a cooperative effort between Winterthur and Greenbank Mill, a living history
museum in Wilmington, Delaware.
The return of sheep to the Winterthur estate “marks a great opportunity for us to salute Winterthur’s history as a
working farm and gives today’s visitors new ways to appreciate our pastoral setting and to understand the du Pont
family’s agricultural legacy,” said Leslie Greene Bowman, director and CEO of Winterthur. “It’s a real delight to
see sheep grazing on our grounds again.” Winterthur was a working farm until 1969, when all livestock were
removed from the property following the death of Winterthur’s founder, Henry Francis du Pont.
Greenbank Mill’s Livestock Program at Winterthur has been developed to expand a conservation breeding
program for the sheep, who have long been prized for the quality of their wool. “Greenbank Mill and Philips Farm
have been working for eight years to preserve the genetic heritage of the sheep who played such an important role
in the development of America’s early textile industry,” said Tony Shahan, executive director of Greenbank Mill
Associates. “Delaine Merino and English Leicester sheep were vitally important to shaping the agricultural
traditions of this region.”
Merino sheep were first brought to Delaware in the early 1800s. A prolific ram named Don Pedro was the star of
the du Pont flock and earned himself celebrity status in the early United States. When Don Pedro died, the
du Pont family received letters of condolence from across the young nation, including one from Thomas
Jefferson.
- - m o r e - -
Winterthur
Museum & Country Estate
Winterthur, Delaware 19735
302.888.4600
www.winterthur.org

Merino Sheep Move to Winterthur
add one
On June 19, a flock of five sheep from Greenbank Mill was moved into its new home at Winterthur’s historic
19th-century Negendank Barn. The Delaine Merino sheep are being afforded a quiet transition time to give them
an opportunity to become acclimated to their new surroundings, according to Shahan. “Although it is easy to think
of them as pets, we ask that people remember these are working farm animals that should not be fed or touched.”
“Once the sheep have adjusted to their new home, I’m sure visitors will enjoy seeing them grazing in the new
pasture created adjacent to our Route 52 entrance,” said Bowman. She noted that Winterthur and Greenbank Mill
will soon announce a programming initiative that will provide opportunities for families to take part in a series of
farm-based activities and special events.
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Winterthur Museum & Country Estate—known worldwide for its preeminent collection of American antiques, naturalistic
garden, and research library for the study of American art and material culture—offers a variety of tours, exhibitions,
programs, and activities throughout the year. Winterthur has been named one of the country’s “10 great places of historic
proportions” by USA Today; “one of the 10 grandest mansions in America” by Budget Travel; and one of the “10 best art
museums for kids” by Child magazine.
The “Winterthur Experience” ($20 for adults; $18 for students and seniors; $10 for ages 2–11) includes one guided Discovery
Tour of the mansion or garden as well as access to the Galleries, special exhibitions, the garden, a narrated tram tour (weather
permitting), the Campbell Collection of Soup Tureens, and Enchanted Woods (the children’s garden). Additional tours may
be added for $5; tickets are valid for two consecutive days. A Garden & Galleries Pass for self-guided tours is also available
($15 for adults; $13 for students and seniors; $5 for ages 2–11).
Museum hours are 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday–Sunday. Winterthur, located on Route 52, six miles northwest of Wilmington,
Delaware, and five miles south of U.S. Route 1, is closed Mondays (except holidays and during Yuletide), Thanksgiving, and
Christmas Day. Winterthur is committed to accessible programming for all. For information, including special services, call
800.448.3883, 302.888.4600, or TTY 302.888.4907. Online, visit winterthur.org.