Inventory of the Duke Family papers on the Duke Farms residence, 1859-2004 and undated
Abstract
Duke Farms, a 2,700 acre estate located in Hillsborough, New Jersey, was developed by James Buchanan (J.B.) Duke beginning in 1893. After J.B. Duke's death in 1925, Doris Duke inherited the property. Over the course of nearly seven decades she worked to continue the legacy of Duke Farms and introduced environmentally-friendly and innovative farming methods into the operations of Duke Farms and purchased and restored farms and farmstead structures in order to forestall the rapid loss of farmland to urban development. When she died she left the majority of her estate to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with her expressed wish that Duke Farms be used to drive positive change on a number of key issues regarding the stewardship of the natural environment.
The collection is arranged into four series: Administrative Records, Duke Business Office Records, Duke Farms Main Residence Records, and Architectural Records. It spans the years 1859 to 2004, beginning with the early vision and evolution of the estate by James Buchanan (J.B.) Duke, the enhancement and management of the estate by Doris Duke after she inherited control of it upon her father's death, and ending with the general upkeep of the estate after Doris Duke's death in 1993. The collection primarily documents the daily operations of running, renovating, and maintaining the Duke Farms estate, and includes daily activity reports, correspondence, notes, and specifications for various architectural projects at Duke Farms, invoices and vouchers for repairs at different buildings on the estate, cattle inventories and cow registrations, financial ledgers and cashbooks, and security ledgers and reports. The architectural records are further arranged into seven sub series and contain a wide assortment of records, including blueprints, diazo prints, site plans, schedules, and maps. The materials document a variety of design, construction, and farm-related activities at Duke Farms.
Descriptive Summary
- Repository
- David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University
- Creator
- Duke family
- Title
- Duke Family papers on the Duke Farms residence, 1859-2004
- Language of Material
- English
- Extent
- 341 Linear Feet, 41,880 Items
- Location
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Collection Overview
The Duke Family papers on the Duke Farms residence (formerly DF.3) is part of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Historical Archives which were donated to the Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The collection is arranged into four series: Administrative Records, Duke Business Office Records, Duke Farms Main Residence Records, and Architectural Records. It spans the years 1859 to 2004, beginning with the early vision and evolution of the estate by James Buchanan (J.B.) Duke, the enhancement and management of the estate by Doris Duke after she inherited control of it upon her father's death, and ending with the general upkeep of the estate after Doris Duke's death in 1993. The collection primarily documents the daily operations of running, renovating, and maintaining the Duke Farms estate, and includes deeds, mortgages, and agreements relating to the formation of J.B. Duke's Hillsborough property, daily activity reports, correspondence, notes, and specifications for various architectural projects at Duke Farms, invoices and vouchers for repairs at different buildings on the estate including the Main Residence, cattle inventories and cow registrations, financial ledgers and cashbooks, and security ledgers and reports. The architectural records are further arranged into seven sub series and contain a wide assortment of records, including blueprints, diazo prints, site plans, schedules, and maps. The materials document a variety of design, construction, and farm-related activities at Duke Farms. The arrangement of the collection varies with each series.
Administrative Information
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Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research, however there are restrictions on certain materials within the collection. See Series level descriptions for more information.
However, collection may contain materials to which the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights form applies. Patrons must sign this form before using this collection.
Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials. Due to the fragility of the Architectural records, there may be a 48-hour delay in obtaining these materials.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.
Digital use copies in this collection have been migrated to a library server and can only be accessed onsite in the Rubenstein Library Reading Room. To request access please contact a reference archivist prior to visiting the library.
Use Restrictions
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
Contents of the Collection
Topics in this series are widely varied, however they are all related to the daily operations of the Duke Farms estate. The materials begin with J.B. Duke, primarily documenting the early evolution of the estate from a "gentleman's" farm (raising and breeding cattle and horse) to a public park, and finally to a large-scale agricultural production farm to support the war effort. Materials include the original deeds, mortgages, and agreements relating to the formation of J.B. Duke's Hillsborough property, the certificate of incorporation of the Duke's Farm Company in 1917, correspondence and invoices for purchases of equipment and Jersey cows for the farm, lists of plants and flowers sold, analysis of profit and loss accounts, daily activity reports, and correspondence, notes, and specifications for various architectural projects at Duke Farms, including the construction of a "country house" and the greenhouses. Of particular interest are the letterbooks, which range from 1916 to 1927. The letters detail the daily operations of Duke's Farms, including the purchases of plants, trees, and flowers for the estate, rent paid, farm equipment requests, and letters to Horace Trumbauer regarding the construction of two cottages on the estate.
The series continues with Doris Duke, beginning with her inheritance of the property after J.B. Duke's death in 1925 and ending in 2004 with materials related to the handling of the Estate of Doris Duke after her death in 1993. The materials document the broad, diverse daily activities of the estate, including leases, memoranda and correspondence related to land, houses, and field crops, invoices and vouchers for repairs at different buildings on the estate, and financial statements, receipts, and disbursements related to the daily operations. The materials also document Doris Duke's interests in conservation, raising Jersey cattle, and organic farming, and include memoranda concerning agricultural conservation programs at Duke Farms, invoices and vouchers relating to soil and water conservation, cattle inventories and cow registrations, and proposals for organic farming at Duke Farms. Of particular interest are letters from Hillsborough residents who supported Doris Duke in her land preservation efforts.
At least half of the materials are in oversize boxes and primarily consist of ledgers, financial journals, cashbooks, voucher records, and inventories. The materials in this series are arranged loosely in chronological order.
RESTRICTED: Access to several folders in boxes 23, 35, 45, 246, 247, 249, and 253 are restricted and require prior written approval from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to view.
The Duke Business Office managed the daily operations of Duke Farms, focusing on areas such as security, licensing, accounting and finance controls and reports, personnel, the construction and renovations of structures at Duke Farms, and equipment and vehicle purchases. Originally based in New York, it moved from New York City to Duke Farms in 1975. Materials in this series include applications for licenses and loans, tax assessments and returns, invoices and vouchers for maintenance repairs, job descriptions, and correspondence and memoranda related to various security matters at Duke Farms. Of particular interest are the security reports to Doris Duke, which includes reports on the status of Miss Duke's dogs, employee and visitors to Duke Farms and reporting suspicious and routine activities around the estate.
The materials in this series are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Both topics and types of materials vary widely in this series, however all primarily document administrative matters in the running of the Main Residence at Duke Farms. Materials include work orders and estimates for new construction and repairs to the residence, receipts and invoices for the purchase of furniture and art objects, fabric samples for draperies, statements of operations for the Main Residence, and weekly updates to Doris Duke on the daily activities at the residence. Also included are inventories of furniture, fixtures, art, wine, and a photographic inventory of jewelry.
The materials in this series are arranged loosely in chronological order.
The materials in the architectural records series are further arranged into nine subseries: Bridges, Lakes & Fountains, Coach Barn, Other Structures, Proposed Mansion, Pump & Filter House Systems, Main Residence, Surveys, Roads, Fields, Miscellaneous, and Farm Barn. The collection contains a wide assortment of records, including blueprints, diazo prints, site plans, schedules, and maps. The materials document a variety of design, construction, and farm-related activities at Duke Farms beginning with J.B. Duke and ending with Doris Duke, who continued to make enhancements to the estate through 1992. Topics include the original design of a new country estate at Duke Farms (which was never built) and later additions to the existing main residence at Duke Farms, design and building of other structures on the estate including the Coach Barn, cottages, and Filter House, the landscape design of lakes, roads, and buildings, road and property surveys, and crop plantings. Many of the architects and engineers retained for architectural services to Duke Farms were from prominent firms, including the Horace Trumbauer firm, Buckenham & Miller, Kendall, Taylor & Stevens, Thomas W. Lamb, and Wyeth & King. The Miscellaneous Series consist of architectural records that were not originally integrated into the other seven categories.
Digital use copies exist for some of the architectural records and have been identified below. Digital use copies can only be accessed onsite in the Rubenstein Library Reading Room. To request access please contact a reference archivist prior to visiting the library.
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
Digital use copy is available in the Reading Room
