History of Market West

The story of the du Ponts in Delaware begins amidst the French Revolution. Fleeing from war the family turned their hope to America, leaving their life in France behind. Irénée du Pont formed The DuPont Company as a manufacturer of gunpowder born at the Eleutherian Mills on the Brandywine Creek, near Wilmington, Delaware. The company grew quickly in the mid-19th century, and DuPont became the largest supplier of gunpowder to the United States military. Today the company has 150 research and development facilities and employs more than 10,000 scientists and engineers around the world.

With roots along the Brandywine, The DuPont Company voted in 1904 to build its new headquarters in the heart of downtown Wilmington. The office, known as the DuPont Building, was one the first high-rises in the city and grew to become the 950,000 SF mixed-use complex that is synonymous with Wilmington today. In 1938, DuPont expanded its global headquarters with the opening of the Nemours Building next door, connecting the two buildings with a bridge on the 8th floor over Orange Street. The third of DuPont’s headquarters, the Brandywine Building, was built in 1967 to house more than 2,000 employees.

These three buildings, along with their accompanying parking garages, remained in the possession of The DuPont Company for decades until the firm decided to divest most of its real estate holdings in downtown Wilmington at the turn of the 20th century.

This led the Buccini Pollin Group to acquire from The DuPont Company the Nemours, Brandywine, and CityCenter buildings as its first investment in downtown Wilmington in 1999. BPG later added the Dupont and ParkBPG buildings to its portfolio in 2017. With the addition of these two additional buildings, BPG once again reassembled single ownership of all original headquarter buildings. As stewards of these historic assets, BPG has taken great care to restore these buildings to their former glory overseeing millions of dollars in renovations and capital improvement projects.

Market West is the next iteration of the DuPont buildings in downtown Wilmington. Bordering both Market and West Streets, Market West is where the city meets.  It marks the entryway to downtown and activates the city’s most historic yet cutting edge buildings. From destination dining, live entertainment and outdoor activations to luxury accommodations, convenient parking, and modern workspaces for both startups and headquarters, Market West brings living, working, and enjoying together for a new chapter in the core of the city. Visit Market West today and find out for yourself what tomorrow’s vision looks like!