Just this morning as we sipped our tea and went about business, there was a spirit of yesteryear lingering close. Just this time last year, we spent Thursday nights piled in houses and resraurants trying to devise a good enough strategy to appeal to boards in Hillsborough Township to prevent the senseless demolition of the Duke Mansion. Whether in hindsight you agree with the environmental-focus of this destruction or you opposed the removal of Miss Duke’s main residence, the facts are that the mansion is no longer standing for a variety of curious reasons.
Of course, one would think that it’s all over. Perhaps our posts following the Trials of Doris are less frequent, but the spirit of the Dukes has only become stronger in the time we have been idle. Just today, Mark DiIonno of the Star Ledger published this gem of an article reminding us all what inconsistencies and curious cases pass through the doors of Hillsborough Township (and elsewhere) all the time. Take a look at what he’s got together:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/08/same_guys_who_let_duke_mansion_be_razed_protect_an.html
Let’s take a look at some highlights real quick. He’s right, from our perspective. You have our support from The RetroRevival.
“And while the $2 billion Duke Foundation successfully argued their mansion was in disrepair and beyond restoration, and that it was a hodgepodge of insignificant architectural add-ons over the years, the sisters could not convince commission of either. Instead, the commission ruled the “house was in good condition, considering its age” and that “renovations can be performed in a manner consistent with the structures historical significance.”But the main reason for the denial, according to the commission’s official denial resolution, is that the farmhouse is only one of four brick homes of that age in the township. This fact was mentioned not once, but twice. On the flip side, there was only one Doris Duke mansion.But who’s counting?” (DiIonno).
You had ONE chance, and it doesn’t appear that you will be forgotten. Ususally when people ask to be remembered, they hope it would be for a good reason. I regret to inform you that the destruction of the Duke Mansion in Hillsborough New Jersey and every name of those who acted in ways to permit its demolition won’t ever be forgotten. We simply won’t stand aside for injustice.
While the RRBlog does focus its energy on the asesthetics and concepts of years ago, we don’t live in 1951 anymore and we do not, nor will we ever, be bystanders to any sort of social injustice, even toward someone postmortem. #JusticeForDoris
Stay tuned, darlings; and always stay curious.
Retro Curious Rebellious: The Revival 