Grottos are natural or artificial caves used since antiquity as spaces of devotion or retreat in the landscape. Grottos became popular in Italy and France during the sixteenth century. Many of the historic gardens Longwood’s founder, Pierre S. du Pont, visited during his European travels contain grottos

As part of the restoration of Longwood’s Main Fountain Garden by Beyer Blinder Belle, Miriam Kelly led the design of the new Grotto. Excavations for the Pump Room behind the historic Loggia provided the opportunity to introduce a new garden element. The Loggia is the axial focus of the garden, and the discovery of a Grotto concealed behind adds a layer of surprise and delight.

The design of the Longwood Grotto draws on the historic grottos Pierre du Pont visited in Europe. The classical tripartite plan and shallow dome reflect the Italianate style of the Loggia and wider garden. However, the classical language is disrupted by the rugged, rubble stone which was sourced just a few miles from Longwood. The traditional masonry techniques employed to build the Grotto are as ancient as grottos themselves. The stone dome was built on top of a complex wooden formwork fabricated to precise geometry. The massive stones of the natural rock wall were carefully winched into place and fitted together.

Drawn by the sound of water, visitors descend through a tunnel into the Grotto chamber. Cool and softly lit, the Grotto provides a moment of pause and reflection, animated by falling water and the sparkle of mica inclusions in the stonework. An artesian swell of water rises in the central pool, into which a curtain of droplets perpetually falls. Of the earth but otherworldly, the Longwood Grotto is conceptually both the source and termination for water in the Main Fountain Garden.