Mission & Heritage

The Friends of The Patio

Over the years, the mansion at Archmere has come to be known as “The Patio,” because of the home’s large interior cortile covered by the stained glassed skylight. The Friends of The Patio are a group of people interested in the preservation and restoration of the estate, as well as learning about the history of the area during the early 20th century. Members are invited to regular educational and artistic programming held at Archmere throughout the year.

About the Estate

List of 3 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.
Architecture and Engineering

Using state-of-the-art technology, Archmere was a home with all the modern conveniences of the day - 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 colonade 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, sculptor, conceived the designed for and created the large Vermont marble fountain with the bronze statue as the main focus of the center cortile of the home.