MANSIONS
OF THE EASTERN SHORE & DELMARVA PENINSULA
PIONEER
POINT, CENTERVILLE, MARYLAND
Pioneer
Point, a 1600 acre estate with nine miles of waterfront on the
Chester
and Corsican Rivers, built in 1925 for almost three million
dollars
by John J. Raskob had 19 rooms and a separate dormitory
for
the families 13 children. The Raskob wife, Helena , better known
as
Skipper, and the children made the property a working horse farm
with
a
stable of 36 thoroughbreds and other amenities of wealth.
John
Raskob, a financial leader was usually at the side of Pierre S.
duPont,
spent most of his time in New York at business, while Skipper
directed
the management of Pioneer Point with the help of a 20 year
younger
Jack Corcoran. Soon Corcoran became Skippers object of
affection
and after Raskob died in 1950 at Pioneer Point she
remarried
with Corcoran.
Raskob
was close in partnership with duPont and General Motors and had
helped
him in the design of the Chemours Building in Wilmington. He
was also involved in the design of the Empire State Building at New
York.
Raskob
first built a residence in Claymont that is now Archmere Academy.
The
Raskob's lost two sons in automobile accidents in the early
1930's.
Pioneer
Point sold several times and in 1972 the Soviet's bought it as a
pleasure
palace for their Washington, D.C. Embassy and it's vistitors.
President
Obama evicted the Russian diplomats from the Centerville
estate
for spying in the United States.
Abstract:
Wilmington News Journal, Monday, January 16, 2017, by
the
News Journals Harry Themal, 01/18/19 by Harrison H. for
www.delmarhistory.blogspot.com
and Facebook.
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