![DuPONT, MISS MARION](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/DuPONT%2C_MISS_MARION._RIDING%3B_HORSE_SHOW_LCCN2016867338.jpg)
Marion duPont Scott (May 3, 1894 – September 4, 1983) was a
thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
horsebreeder who operated a racing stable for both flat and steeplechase racing. She was the last private owner of
Montpelier, the mansion and land estate of former United States President
James Madison
James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...
.
At the time of her death, she bequeathed Montpelier to the
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...
and established an endowment for its maintenance; it had been designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
. During the National Trust's major restoration of the mansion in 2003–2008 to its design during the time of Madison's residency, it reduced the house from the 55-room structure developed by the du Pont family back to its original 22 rooms.
Biography
Marion was born in
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...
, the daughter of
William du Pont and his second wife, Annie Rogers, the former wife of George Zinn, Sr. She had one sibling,
William duPont, Jr., and a half-brother, George Zinn, Jr. She spent her childhood at
Binfield
Binfield is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England, which at the 2011 census had a population of 8,689. The village lies north-west of Bracknell, north-east of Wokingham, and south-east of Reading at the westernmost extremity of ...
,
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. She was a great-granddaughter of
Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. Of French Huguenot descent, the
Du Pont family
The du Pont family () or Du Pont family is a prominent American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739–1817). It has been one of the richest families in the United States since the mid-19th century, when it founded its fo ...
usually spell the family name as "du Pont" in the French style. Both Marion and her brother William, Jr. chose to spell their surname conjoined.
Marion grew up riding in the hunt country of Virginia and became an accomplished horsewoman. She became interested in racing as well and developed what became known as the Montpelier Stable. She owned and bred Thoroughbreds for both flat and steeplechase racing.
In addition, she and her brother William developed a number of racing venues, including
Delaware Park, which he designed in 1937 in Delaware;
Fair Hill, home to the National Steeplechase Association Headquarters and its race course in Maryland, on more than 5,000 acres of land formerly owned by William duPont Jr.; and the Springdale Race Course, Camden, South Carolina, home of the
Carolina Cup
The Carolina Cup is an annual steeplechase horse race held at the Springdale Race Course in Camden, South Carolina. The race holds the National Steeplechase Association attendance record of 71,000 people. The Carolina Cup has raised thousands of ...
and the Colonial Cup races.
["History of Montpelier Races"](_blank)
Montpelier Hunt Races website
In 1934, she and her brother William founded the Montpelier Steeplechase Hunt Races, held on the grounds of the estate. They are held the first Saturday in November each year at the Montpelier horse racing
steeplechase
Steeplechase may refer to:
* Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles
* Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...
course. It is a National Steeplechase Association event.
Marion was married to Thomas Hugh Somerville (1895–1963), an inspector with
E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. He was a son of Samuel Wilson Somerville of
Culpeper, Virginia
Culpeper (formerly Culpeper Courthouse, earlier Fairfax) is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. The population was 20,062 at the 2020 census, up from 16,379 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Culpeper Coun ...
. They married on 26 December 1925 and divorced in 1935. They had no children.
Secondly, she married
Randolph Scott
George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...
, an American movie actor, in 1936. (He had been best man at her first wedding.) They divorced in 1939; they had no children.
She also owned the 25-acre Holly Hedge estate in
Camden, South Carolina
Camden is the largest city and county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina. The population was 7,764 in the 2020 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Camden is the oldest inland city in South Caro ...
from 1944 until her death in 1983. This large antebellum home was built in 1835 and included a modern ten-stall horse barn. She purchased the Springdale Race Course in Camden as well and also owned a large equine training facility there. Her legacy lives in Camden with the annual steeplechase "Marion duPont Scott's Colonial Cup" that she founded in 1970. Scott Park adjacent to her previous training facility is a city park on land that she donated to the city. Battleship Road in Camden is named after her famous horse.
In 1976, she compiled and published her book "Montpelier-The Recollections of Marion duPont Scott," with help from writer Gerald Strine.
Marion Scott had additions made to Montpelier for her own use, including wings that brought the total of rooms up to 55. At her death in 1983, Marion had bequeathed the estate, designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
, to the
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...
. Her father's will had said that if she were childless, the property would be inherited by her brother and his children. Her will included a provision for his children to sell or give their interests in the property to the National Trust or forfeit their share of a separate $3.1 million trust. In addition, she provided $10 million to the National Trust to buy the property and to establish an endowment. As her brother had died in 1965, his five children inherited Montpelier. Although two nephews sued the National Trust in an effort to break the will, they finally sold their interests in 1984.
[Marjorie Hunter (NY Times News Service), "James Madison's Montpelier to become museum:](_blank)
''Gainesville Sun''], 18 November 1984
After acquiring the property, the
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...
restored the property in the 2000s to its appearance when occupied by James and Dolley Madison in the early 1800s, reducing its size to the original 22 rooms and re-acquiring some of the original furnishings.
Montpelier Stable
Marion Scott owned
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
racehorses
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...
that competed under her ''
nom de course'', Montpelier Stable, in both
flat racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
and
steeplechase
Steeplechase may refer to:
* Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles
* Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...
. The graves and tombstones of three of her racehorses lie to the left of the Montpelier mansion.
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...
and Annapolis were sons of
Man o' War
Man o' War (March 29, 1917 – November 1, 1947) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is widely regarded as the greatest racehorse of all time. Several sports publications, including ''The Blood-Horse'', ''Sports Illustrated'', ESPN, and ...
. Battleship is the only horse in history to win both the
American Grand National
The Grand National Hurdle Stakes is an American National Steeplechase Association sanctioned steeplechase race run each fall at Far Hills, New Jersey. It is a Grade 1 event run over miles. It has been known by a variety of names over the years, i ...
and the
British Grand National steeplechase races.
Awards
Scott's horse
Mongo
Mongo may refer to:
Geography Africa
* Mongo, Chad, a Sahel city
* Apostolic Vicariate of Mongo (Roman Catholic missionary jurisdiction)
* Mongo, Sierra Leone, a chiefdom
* Mongo River (Little Scarces River), Guinea and Sierra Leone, a tributar ...
was voted the 1963
American Champion Male Turf Horse
The American Champion Male Turf Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor.
The award originated in 1953 when the ''Daily Racing Form'' (DRF) named Iceberg II their champion. The Thoroughbred Racing Association (TRA) added the cat ...
. Following the creation of the
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse.
An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division that is made by a few small selected American ...
s in 1971, her horse Soothsayer was voted the 1972
American Champion Steeplechase Horse The American Champion Steeplechase Horse is an American horse racing honor awarded as part of the Eclipse Award program since its inception in 1971. It is awarded annually to the top horse in steeplechase racing.
Flatterer is the only horse to wi ...
. In 1976 Proud Delta was voted
American Champion Older Female Horse The Eclipse Award for Champion Older Dirt Female Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a filly or mare, four years old and up, for performances on dirt and main track racing surfaces. In 1971, it became part of the ...
.
Equine Medical Center
:Se
Marion duPont Scott CenterShe bequeathed funds to
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
to establish an equine medical center. It was founded in 1984 in
Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a town in the state of Virginia, and the county seat of Loudoun County. Settlement in the area began around 1740, which is named for the Lee family, early leaders of the town and ancestors of Robert E. Lee. Located in the far northea ...
, through her gift. A stipulation of the gift called for the Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation, which operates
Morven Park Morven, or Mhoirbheinn, is a given name and may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Morven, Queensland, a town and locality in the Shire of Murweh
* Morven, New South Wales
* Electoral district of Morven, Tasmania
Canada
* Morven, community in Loya ...
, to offer 200 acres upon which the medical center was built. At the end of this 100-year agreement, the land reverts to Morven Park. The Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center at Morven Park is a full-service
equine
Equinae is a subfamily of the family Equidae, which have lived worldwide (except Indonesia and Australia) from the Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene (16 million years ago) onwards. They are thought to be a monophyletic grouping.B. J. MacFa ...
hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...
that offers advanced specialty care, 24-hour emergency treatment and diagnostic services for all ages and breeds of horses. The hospital sees approximately 3,000 horses annually, and employs 120 equine healthcare professionals. The Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center at Morven Park is affiliated with the
Virginia–Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.
Legacy
*1973, Marion Scott received the Thoroughbred Breeders of Kentucky Award
*1981, the
National Turf Writers Association
The National Turf Writers Association (NTWA) is an American association of journalists, columnists and other writers involved with reporting on the horse racing industry. The organization was founded by prominent sports writer Joe Hirsch who served ...
voted to give her the Joe Palmer Award for meritorious service and outstanding achievement in racing.
*Scott donated her important collection of books and periodicals on the history and practice of equestrian and related sports to the
University of Virginia's Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
The Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia is a research library that specializes in American history and literature, history of Virginia and the southeastern United States, the history of the University ...
, together with an endowment fund to maintain and expand the collection.
*1983, by her will, she bequeathed Montpelier to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, as well as $10 million to provide for the trust to buy the interests of her nieces and nephews, if necessary, as well as to establish an endowment for maintenance.
*During restoration of Montpelier, Scott's well-known "red room" with decorations and furniture was moved permanently to the estate's visitor center. It is available for viewing by the general public. The visitor center also displays several walls of photographs from Scott's distinguished
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
career.
References
External links
Profile of Marion duPont Scott, University of Virginia Library Montpelier Hunt Races
"Marion duPont Scott" Virginia Tech
William du Pont and William du Pont, Jr. photographic materials(1855–1928) at
Hagley Museum and Library
The Hagley Museum and Library is a nonprofit educational institution in unincorporated New Castle County, Delaware, near Wilmington. Covering more than along the banks of the Brandywine Creek, the museum and grounds include the first du Pont ...
. Photographs of Marion duPont Scott and Montpelier are included in the collection.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Marion Du Pont
1894 births
1983 deaths
American racehorse owners and breeders
American philanthropists
Marion Scott
People from Binfield
American expatriates in the United Kingdom