The Patio as an Inspiring Instructional Resource
Not many high schools can claim to have a building listed in the National Historic Registry. Archmere Academy actually has two: the Patio mansion and the Manor, home to Archmere Academy’s nationally-recognized Art & Design program, both listed on the National Register in 1992. This year, Mrs. Silverman’s Junior Portfolio 2D Design and Painting students created paintings and drawings of both the Patio exterior and interior from direct observation.
Art Department Chair Mrs. Stephanie Silverman '00 states, “I had the opportunity to attend the National Gallery of Art’s Teacher Institute back in 2014, and ever since, I have included a unit on French Impressionism, a pioneering art movement that prioritized direct observation and capturing fleeting moments in time through decisive, expressive brushwork. The Impressionists were the first painters to be liberated from the studio thanks to new technology-paint in tubes-and were free to venture outdoors to paint in natural lighting conditions."
On October 8th, the Painting class completed a Patio “Plein air” Landscape Painting project of the Patio exterior. Sitting on the Patio lawn, students captured the exterior beauty of the building in its natural light during one outdoor class period. Silverman remarks on the relevance of the lesson, stating, "Similarly, after learning about this distinctive and important Modern art movement, the Painting students pack up a portable outdoor painting kit and complete a study of the Patio in natural light in one sitting, capturing as much information from their optical experience as quickly as they can in one block class.”
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On October 8th, the Painting class completed a Patio “Plein air” Landscape Painting project of the Patio exterior. Sitting on the Patio lawn, students captured the exterior beauty of the building in its natural light during one outdoor class period. Silverman remarks on the relevance of the lesson, stating, "Similarly, after learning about this distinctive and important Modern art movement, the Painting students pack up a portable outdoor painting kit and complete a study of the Patio in natural light in one sitting, capturing as much information from their optical experience as quickly as they can in one block class.”
From November 19-21st, Mrs. Silverman's Junior Portfolio class began their Observational Drawings of the Patio interior courtyard. “I typically have students complete an observational still life in the Manor studio, but it occurred to me that we have a fabulous 'ready made' still subject right here on campus, just steps from the Manor. Students are often encouraged to include figure drawings in their college portfolios, and so not only does the Patio interior courtyard offer an opportunity to explore complex spatial perspective, but the fountain itself is composed of two dynamic figures, providing an excellent opportunity for students to complete classical studies in charcoal of the human form.”
Head of School Michael A. Marinelli, Ed.D. '76 spoke to the class during their observational drawings of the fountain, providing an overview of the history of the Patio and the many ways in which the historical building has been used as a source of inspiration/instructional resource through the years. He also discussed some interesting facts about the fountain; for example, the six Piccarilli brothers who carved the fountain's marble base featuring the Raskob children also carved the statue of Abraham Lincoln for sculptor Daniel French to be installed in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Marinelli also helped students understand the link between the fountain's idyllic Arcadian themes and iconography and the Italian Renaissance Revival Patio mansion. Students were delighted when he pointed out that at the very base of the fountain, if you look closely, you can spot a few Chesapeake crabs, symbolic of "Mrs. Raskob's birthplace of Maryland."
In 1932 the Norbertine religious order purchased the estate and founded Archmere Academy.
Head of School Michael A. Marinelli, Ed.D. '76 spoke to the class during their observational drawings of the fountain, providing an overview of the history of the Patio and the many ways in which the historical building has been used as a source of inspiration/instructional resource through the years. He also discussed some interesting facts about the fountain; for example, the six Piccarilli brothers who carved the fountain's marble base featuring the Raskob children also carved the statue of Abraham Lincoln for sculptor Daniel French to be installed in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Marinelli also helped students understand the link between the fountain's idyllic Arcadian themes and iconography and the Italian Renaissance Revival Patio mansion. Students were delighted when he pointed out that at the very base of the fountain, if you look closely, you can spot a few Chesapeake crabs, symbolic of "Mrs. Raskob's birthplace of Maryland."
From the Philadelphia Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians:
Listed on the National Register in 1992, The Patio is an Italian Renaissance Revival mansion designed by the Wilmington architects Alexander James Harper and Clay McClure. Built from 1916-18, this 15th-C Florentine palazzo on the Delaware River was home to the Raskobs and their 13 children until 1931. The ground floors are furnished with period furniture, some of which belonged to the Raskobs. A significant feature of the home was the retractable stained glass skylight over the central court which features a fountain carved with likenesses of the Raskob children by Sculptor Charles Keck, a student of Augustus Saint Gaudens. (In 1977, a protective, though transparent, covering was placed over the skylight which prevents it from being retracted.)
Listed on the National Register in 1992, The Patio is an Italian Renaissance Revival mansion designed by the Wilmington architects Alexander James Harper and Clay McClure. Built from 1916-18, this 15th-C Florentine palazzo on the Delaware River was home to the Raskobs and their 13 children until 1931. The ground floors are furnished with period furniture, some of which belonged to the Raskobs. A significant feature of the home was the retractable stained glass skylight over the central court which features a fountain carved with likenesses of the Raskob children by Sculptor Charles Keck, a student of Augustus Saint Gaudens. (In 1977, a protective, though transparent, covering was placed over the skylight which prevents it from being retracted.)
Born in 1879 and raised in Lockport, NY, J.J. Raskob became Pierre S. du Pont’s personal secretary in 1901. In 1911, he became assistant treasurer of DuPont, in 1914 treasurer, and in 1918 vice-president for finance of both DuPont and General Motors. Raskob had been an early investor in General Motors and had engineered DuPont’s ownership of 43% of GM. Raskob remained with DuPont until his retirement from the company in 1946.
He was also a devout Catholic and staunch Democrat, serving as chairman of the Democratic party from 1928-1932. Many important players on the National stage were guests at The Patio for strategy meetings in 1928 when four-time New York Governor and fellow Catholic Alfred E. “Al” Smith ran for President. Largely due to anti-Catholic sentiment Smith lost to Republican Herbert Hoover, so Raskob turned his attention to another project that he started in 1929, construction of the Empire State Building. The Empire State Corporation, formed to build the structure, was a consortium of four men: Pierre S. DuPont, Louis G. Kauffman, Ellis P. Earle, and Raskob. After his loss for President, they named Al Smith as the corporation’s president. Smith was a real booster for the ESB and did a great deal to sign tenants during the Depression. The Empire State Building was officially opened on May 1, 1931, later that year Raskob left Archmere for his home on the Eastern Shore of Maryland as the Claymont area had become increasingly industrial in the first decades of the 20th-C.
In 1932 the Norbertine religious order purchased the estate and founded Archmere Academy.
Archmere Academy is a private, Catholic, college preparatory co-educational academy,
grades 9-12 founded in 1932 by the Norbertine Fathers.
grades 9-12 founded in 1932 by the Norbertine Fathers.
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