Duke Farms
Encyclopedia
Duke Farms is an estate that was established by James Buchanan Duke
, an American entrepreneur who founded Duke Power and the American Tobacco Company
. It is located in Hillsborough, New Jersey.
in rural New Jersey. His vision was to create a farm similar to those in North Carolina
where he had grown up. He engaged a number of architects and engineers to fulfill his dream including Buckenham & Miller, James Greenleaf and Elizabeth Biddle Shipman. Eventually he had assembled about 2,700 acres (11 km²) of farm and wood lands that contained 45 buildings, 9 lakes, 18 miles of roads and 1.5 miles of stone walls.
Duke died in 1925, and his 12-year old daughter, Doris Duke
, gained control of the property after suing her mother. She restored it and moved in at the age of fifteen. She was very invested in the property and made it her main residence. She incorporated innovative ecological farming methods she learned from Louis Bromfield
's Malabar Farm. Starting in 1958 she created and designed over a five year period a unique botanical display in the Horace Trumbauer
conservatory and greenhouses known as Duke Gardens
. Duke Gardens opened to the public in 1964. Doris Duke died in 1992.
Currently, very little is accessible to the public: On weekends visitors can walk on an about 2 mile-long nature walk. The remainder of the property is closed and Duke's mansion is empty and uninhabited.
It has been indicated that more of the property may be open to visitors by Earth Day
, 2011.
James Buchanan Duke
James Buchanan Duke was a U.S. tobacco and electric power industrialist best known for his involvement with Duke University.-Personal life:...
, an American entrepreneur who founded Duke Power and the American Tobacco Company
American Tobacco Company
The American Tobacco Company was a tobacco company founded in 1890 by J. B. Duke through a merger between a number of U.S. tobacco manufacturers including Allen and Ginter and Goodwin & Company...
. It is located in Hillsborough, New Jersey.
History
Starting in 1893, "Buck" Duke started to buy land next to the Raritan RiverRaritan River
The Raritan River is a major river of central New Jersey in the United States. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean.-Description:...
in rural New Jersey. His vision was to create a farm similar to those in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
where he had grown up. He engaged a number of architects and engineers to fulfill his dream including Buckenham & Miller, James Greenleaf and Elizabeth Biddle Shipman. Eventually he had assembled about 2,700 acres (11 km²) of farm and wood lands that contained 45 buildings, 9 lakes, 18 miles of roads and 1.5 miles of stone walls.
Duke died in 1925, and his 12-year old daughter, Doris Duke
Doris Duke
Doris Duke was an American heiress, horticulturalist, art collector, and philanthropist.-Family and early life:...
, gained control of the property after suing her mother. She restored it and moved in at the age of fifteen. She was very invested in the property and made it her main residence. She incorporated innovative ecological farming methods she learned from Louis Bromfield
Louis Bromfield
Louis Bromfield was an American author and conservationist who gained international recognition winning the Pulitzer Prize and pioneering innovative scientific farming concepts.-Biography:...
's Malabar Farm. Starting in 1958 she created and designed over a five year period a unique botanical display in the Horace Trumbauer
Horace Trumbauer
Horace Trumbauer was a prominent American architect of the Gilded Age, known for designing residential manors for the wealthy. Later in his career he also designed hotels, office buildings, and much of the campus of Duke University...
conservatory and greenhouses known as Duke Gardens
Duke Gardens
Duke Gardens in Somerset County, New Jersey were among the most significant glass house collections in America. Created by Doris Duke herself, the aerial view confirms they were larger than the New York Botanical Garden's Haupt Conservatory, and were open to the public from 1964 until they were...
. Duke Gardens opened to the public in 1964. Doris Duke died in 1992.
Duke Farms Foundation
Duke Farms is owned by the Duke Farms Foundation (DFF) that was established in 1998 to manage the estate. The Foundation, in turn, is part of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The DFF states its mission " to be a model of environmental stewardship in the 21st Century and inspire visitors to become informed stewards of the land." In a controversial move, in 2008, the DFF closed Duke Gardens demolishing the indoor display gardens that had been created by Doris Duke. The conservatory and greenhouses known as the Orchid Range will be updated and become more energy-efficient. The DFF plans to create new indoor and outdoor display gardens that are eco-friendly, use native plants, and are wheelchair accessible. In the process of rehabilitation numerous invasive foreign plants have been identified including Norwegian maple and Asian Ailanthus and are removed and replaced by native species. The property has a number of notable trees, namely four of the ten oldest trees of New Jersey. and two champion trees, a Great Oak and an Amur Cork Tree.Currently, very little is accessible to the public: On weekends visitors can walk on an about 2 mile-long nature walk. The remainder of the property is closed and Duke's mansion is empty and uninhabited.
It has been indicated that more of the property may be open to visitors by Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
, 2011.