The Comprehensive & Honest Duke Family & Estate Timeline

After a lovely visit to Duke Farms today I thought I would check their “Detailed Timeline” for a comprehensive record of all of their activities on the estate in the last decade.

You can check their timeline out at www.dukefarms.org/About-Us/History/timeline/

The ‘Detailed Timeline’ neglects to discuss anything about the 1909 conservatory since its retirement from the name, “Garden of Nations” following its closure and subsequent rot in 2008. It is also inaccurate to call the greenhouses 1917, because they were only modified in 1917 and again in 1958. They were erected under J. B. Duke’s direction in 1909.

The Hollywood wing was overseen by Nanaline, actually, not Doris- who was far less interested than her mother and husband in adding to the estate mansion

1947- Doris Duke Marries Porfirio Rubirosa(I found this info on WIKIPEDIA, first thing that comes up when you search Ms. Duke’s name, it took about 20 seconds of total research to find out this basic fact).

Photo from www.eclecticallyvintage.com/2013/05/a-day-at-duke-farms/ in 2013

2008- The Garden on Nations is dismantled, and the historic greenhouse is abandoned. Earliest allegations of open windows at the Duke Manor come to our attention.

July 30 2015- Duke Farms seeks permit to have the home of their founder demolished. Citizens group DORIS fights for the preservation of the historic home as the foundations founded by Doris Duke continue fighting for permission to demolish it. Emily Cooperman and Michael Catania present testimony without evidence of a written record of the claimed “mothballing” as well as no documented proof of a claimed “decade of research for adaptive reuses”. The meeting runs late because the line of people opposed to the demolition of the home of Doris Duke is around the wall to the door.

September 24th 2015 – Professional testimony was provided by members of DORIS accompanied with point by point elaboration as to how testimony applies to legal statutes which are supposed to guide the reasoning by which all preservation commission members ought to use. Public comments were limited to 3 minutes per person. Ed Henry speaks publicly regarding the opposition to their permit to demolish, stating that he is moved by peoples concerns about the preservation of the residence, but that the interest to demolish is also held by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

October 15 2015 – Hillsborough ‘s historic preservation commission votes 6-1 in favour of demolition despite very clear public opposition.

March 4th 2016- Demolition of Doris Duke’s home begins after nearly a year of legal resistance by a citizens group.

March 6th 2016- A Court Mandated Cease Work Order was Issued to prevent further demolition of the Historic Home of Doris Duke.

April of 2016- The historic home of Doris Duke is demolished by The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation & Duke Farms.