Over the past several months, we’ve been building something for the family. Not a social network, not a public website — a private, members-only platform built with security at its foundation, where du Pont family members can connect with living cousins, exchange letters, trade heirlooms, and explore thirteen generations of family history — all in one place.
The site is live at dupontfamily.xyz, and we’re now inviting the family to explore this potentially seminal moment in our family. The site is not optimized for mobile device use. iPads or tablets will work, but unless it is a newer device you will most likely not be able to fully utilize all of the features. Everything below explains what you will find when you arrive.
Built with your privacy as the foundation
We know this matters deeply to the family, so we want to address it before anything else. Every design decision in this website started with the same question: does this protect the people using it?
How We Keep Your Information Safe
- ♦ Private and members-only. This is not a public website. Only authenticated family members can access any data. There is no public profile, no search engine indexing, no social sharing.
- ♦ Mutual disclosure in FamilyConnect. You only see as much about others as you choose to share about yourself. Share your state, and you can see where cousins live. Share nothing, and nothing is visible. It’s entirely your call.
- ♦ Per-field privacy controls. Five separate toggles let you choose exactly which pieces of your profile are visible: email, phone, state, profession, and bio. Each one is independent.
- ♦ Correspondence is optional. Messaging is on by default so cousins can reach out, but you can turn it off in Settings at any time — no questions asked.
- ♦ Enterprise-grade authentication. Clerk handles all login and session security. Every API call is verified. Sessions are encrypted. Your password is never stored on our servers.
- ♦ All data stays in the family. We do not share, sell, or expose any information to anyone outside the family. Period.
Twelve features, each designed for a family like this one
Below is every feature the website offers, with enough detail so you know exactly what to expect when you explore. Features marked new were built in the last month. Features marked updated received significant improvements.
Family Tree updated
An interactive chart of your entire family — 7,609 individuals across 13 generations, from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours to the present day. When you log in, the tree centers on you.
- Click any name to explore that person’s branch, marriages, children, and lineage
- Grab and drag — click and hold anywhere on the tree to move around and explore different branches
- Persistent layout — the tree stays alive as you navigate between tabs, so you never lose your place
- Zoom slider — a vertical control lets you scale the view from a wide overview to a close-up of individual branches
- Smart search — finds anyone instantly, even with accented French names (type “eleuthere irenee” and it finds Éleuthère Irénée)
- Tree Legend — an expandable guide explaining what every color and symbol on the tree means
- Loading screen — historical family trivia keeps you company while the tree loads (~5–7 seconds)
Cousin Lookup updated
Pick any two people in the tree and instantly see how they’re related — “second cousin once removed,” “third cousin,” or whatever the connection may be.
- Select two people — pick any two names from the tree and the tool figures out the exact relationship
- Plain-language result — tells you the connection in everyday terms like “second cousin once removed” or “great-great-uncle”
- Use it at gatherings — the easiest way to answer “wait, how are we related?”
Surname Branches
Browse the family organized by last name. The founding du Pont line sits front and center, with every branch that grew from it over the generations.
- Search by surname to jump straight to a specific branch
- Sort by family size to see which branches grew the largest
Ask AI finalizing
A conversational AI family historian that knows the du Pont genealogy inside and out. Ask it anything — “Who were Pierre Samuel’s grandchildren?” or “Tell me about the Hagley powder mills” — and get a thoughtful, informed answer.
- Powered by Claude — Anthropic’s AI, working with real data from the family database
- Natural conversation — ask questions in plain English, get clear answers
- Currently being connected — the backend is complete; the frontend chat interface is being finalized
FamilyConnect updated
A private cousin directory where family members can share a bit about themselves and find each other. The core principle: mutual disclosure.
- You control what’s visible — five separate toggles for email, phone, state/region, job/passion, and bio
- Fair exchange — you only see as much about others as you choose to share about yourself
- Browse by state to find cousins near you
- Collapsible privacy panel — adjust your sharing settings without leaving your profile
- Send a letter directly — see a cousin’s profile and want to reach out? One tap opens Correspondence right from their page
Correspondence new
Send and receive private letters to other family members. Each message is styled as an elegant letter card with gold flourishes and a wax seal — because family correspondence should feel special.
- Sidebar tab with an unread badge so you never miss a letter
- Read receipts confirm your letter was received and opened
- Auto-refresh every 10 seconds so new letters appear without reloading
- Completely optional — turn it off in Settings if you prefer not to receive messages
Bulletin Board
A community space for announcements, volunteer opportunities, and family news. Think of it as the family’s shared corkboard.
- Create, edit, and browse posts from across the family
- An overhaul is coming to support images, links, and richer content — making this the go-to hub for family updates
- Your feedback matters — user testing is key to shaping how the Bulletin Board improves, so try it out and let us know what works and what doesn’t
Marketplace updated
A private marketplace to buy and sell family treasures — paintings, furniture, letters, silverware, china, photographs, property rentals, and more across eight categories.
- Photo uploads with an optional crop tool so sellers can frame their images perfectly
- Custom fields — sellers can add details like condition, era, provenance, and dimensions to make each listing clear and complete
- Eight categories — paintings, furniture, knick-knacks, letters, journals, memorabilia, property rental, and other — organized so buyers can browse by type of item
- Everything stays in the family — only members can see or purchase listings
Admin Dashboard updated
For administrators: a stats overview, user list, and tools to manage bulletin posts, marketplace items, and family tree data.
- User management — see who’s signed up and active. Can help edit content on Marketplace or Bulletin as well.
Settings & Authentication
Manage your email, password, correspondence preferences, directory visibility, read receipts, and notification settings. Clerk handles all login and session security behind the scenes.
Home updated
The first thing you see when you arrive: a tapestry of historical du Pont images — family portraits, the powder mills, Hagley Museum, Winterthur, Longwood Gardens, Nemours. Currently being refined with a hand-curated photo layout in full color (replacing the previous all-grayscale grid). Quick-link cards let you jump to any feature.
Why we need you to test it
The features are built — but the best ideas for what comes next will come from you. Initial use by real family members reveals what works, what doesn’t, and what features we haven’t even thought of yet. A lot of the best concepts come from crowd use — from people actually living inside the site and noticing what they wish it could do.
We want you to explore every feature, push every button, and when something sparks an idea — send it in. The Genealogy Office will be creating a form through Cognito Forms so that each feature request or adjustment can be reviewed and considered. That way we get to integrate the best ideas most efficiently.
How to share your ideas
Use the website. Try everything. When you have an idea for a new feature, an improvement, or something that confused you — submit it through the Cognito Forms feedback form (coming soon from the Genealogy Office). Every suggestion will be reviewed and considered. This is the privilege of being a part of the first user group!
Your Family Is Waiting
Sign up, explore your tree, find your cousins, and let us know what you think.