About Archmere
About Archmere

The History of The Patio

Built from 1916 to 1918, Archmere "Arch to the Sea," was the home of John J. Raskob, Helen Springer Green, and their 13 children before becoming Archmere Academy in 1932. When the school was founded, the mansion house served as the main schoolhouse, as well as boarding for students.
Today, this building known as The Patio is home to concerts, educational programming, events, and so much more. The Manor, which originally housed the heating and electrical plant for the Raskob home, has undergone many renovations and changes in purpose throughout Archmere's history. Today, it is home to robust visual arts programming, founded by Father Stephen Rossey, O Praem. in the 1970s.

About the Estate

List of 4 items.

  • The Raskob Home

    “Archmere” (Arch to the Sea) was the country estate on the banks of the Delaware River of John J. and Helena Springer Green Raskob and their 13 children. The mansion house, garages, and servants’ quarters, personally designed for the family by Alexander Harper and James McClure of the firm of McKim, Meade, and White, are exceptional examples of the Neo-classical art and architecture of the Italian Renaissance, created during the early part of the 20th century.
  • The Manor

    The Manor originally housed the heating and electrical plant for both the Raskob home and the garage in the basement. The first floor of the Manor was used for car maintenance and furniture repair. The second floor was divided into multiple small bedrooms for support staff. 
    In the 1930s, the Manor was converted into classrooms for the Academy. In the school's early days, students would take general science, chemistry, and physics classes until the Justin E. Diny Science Center was built in 1974.
  • Architecture and Engineering

    Archmere was a home with all the modern conveniences of the day using state-of-the-art technology—and then some. A central air cooling system, an elevator, dumb waiter, servant call system, and a unique, once moveable stained-glass skylight that retracted completely into “garages” located in the third-floor roof design. The harmonious architectural design extends to the exterior details of an arched colonnade on the East facade and a port cochere on the West facade’s main entrance.
  • Sculpture, Art, and Furnishings

    The Archmere mansion is adorned with extensive works of marble sculpture, hand-crafted woodwork, mosaics, and design details that cause guests to pause initially to take in the full grand picture and then slowly meander through the rooms and loggias to study the extensive detail of the home. Charles Keck, the sculptor, conceived the design for and created the large Vermont marble fountain with the bronze statue as the main focus of the center cortile of the home.

Upcoming Green Series Programs

List of 4 events.

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Archmere Academy is a private, Catholic, college preparatory co-educational academy,
grades 9-12 founded in 1932 by the Norbertine Fathers.