An update from Buena Vista, where work is restoring 175-plus years of history
Summer brought blooms of pink and white flowers along the grounds of Buena Vista, which holds generations worth of Delaware history as a major residence and agricultural presence in the area. The Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA) has been committed to preserving the legacy of such landmarks by undertaking ongoing maintenance and restoration projects that highlight decades of history.
In addition to landscaping practices that echo childhood memories for those closest to Buena Vista’s more modern history, HCA staff and contractors have been hard at work restoring the backbone of the main structure on the property: The mansion’s roof.
The standing seam metal roof was installed nearly 100 years ago, when an addition was built, and had reached the end of its life expectancy. Roof replacement, with the exception of the library room, was completed last summer. The new regal red roof also is metal, and was molded on site to match the previous size and shape. The library roof was repaired, coated and repainted as needed. In the basement, walls were repointed as well.
The mansion’s porch was also refurbished in July 2024, with repairs, sanding and staining. Pointing work has also taken place on additional buildings on the Buena Vista property, including the pole shed, basement and all around the main house. All shutters, doors and window trim were repaired as needed, while also receiving a fresh coat of paint.
Work also has been underway on the “Playhouse” that was historically used as a privy, a discovery that was made after archaeological investigation. A new roof, as well as pointing work, was added to this structure. More recently, repairs and restoration work focused on the privy’s walls, floors and trim. Planned interior renovations include new flooring and wall repairs, as well as some fresh coats of paint.
Buena Vista was originally built between 1845 and 1847 by Delaware and U.S. statesman John Middletown Clayton (1796-1856). It stayed in his family until it was sold to T. Coleman du Pont in 1914 and later C. Douglass Buck, who served as Delaware’s governor from 1929 to 1937. It was sold by the Bucks to the State of Delaware in 1965 for $1.
Today, Buena Vista hosts meetings, trainings, retreats and other special events. To learn more, go to buenavista.delaware.gov.