Category: The Trials of Doris

Thursday night, the hotly anticipated debate in hopes to save Duke Estate’s beloved main residence, resulted in a blunt postponement until the 15th of October. The DCC Picnic was a lovely little success, and we had the pleasure of meeting many wonderful kindred spirits one at a time to present their interests in the property and shared our fruit tarts! For the future, we expect another charming event for Miss Duke’s birthday in November. In the meantime, so much has occurred in the last 48 hours that the Retro Revival staff has made every effort to publish as much of its contents as possible.

First off, there was much discussion about a preexisting bias that resonated with the chamber, which was only aggravated by the township attorney’s gestures and apparent impatience. The Duke Farms Foundation did not present any further witnesses to plead their case for demolition, keeping their total testimonies to two: the executive director’s and the hired architectural historian’s. The DORIS group came prepared with over 10 prepared scripts and dozens of concerned residents eager to speak their pieces. The attorney representing, Mr. Brook, was able to get through the first 4 of said testimonies, but not without severe cross-examinations from the foundation’s attorney and the scrutiny of the township attorney. Most insulted were the two factual testimonies, including Miss Elisabeth. She was the first fact-witness to be called to testify. When she claimed to work closely with Doris Duke, she was taken as a joke, her comments cited as heresay and the township attorney summarily made a comment boldly expressing that it doesn’t matter what Doris wanted.

The others who prepared speaking points traveled from near and far to attend this meeting, and once again were denied the open floor for comments. Questions directed at the witnesses were permitted.

Most troubling, according to consensus of the Retro Revival writers, lies in the double standard that has been established favoring the foundation’s request to demolish. This suggests bias, which echoes in other components of the latest trial. It seems like, through the cross examination of the foundation’s attorney, there are several contradictions that raise question of the integrity of the foundation’s request. First, no tangible evidence or exhibits were provided from Duke Farms describing any research done on future adaptive reuses. By legal definitions, since the foundation expressed their responses ‘to the best of their knowledge’, this is heresay. The questions that probed this discussion were seeking to find substantiated, publicized evidence of their claims of allegedly producing said research after spending 10 years on the project.

The double standard could be identified and felt by members of the DORIS group immediately. While this community group was prepared with a list of the town ordinance items to cite in their speeches, the foundation’s prior testimonies did not cite all of the ordinance’s items, and there is argument that there is insufficient information to permit demolition. The idea of cherry-picking information out of the probated final will and testament of Doris Duke was also suggested. While the foundation’s comments deciphering the will were permissible by the township, the DORIS group’s same citation, from the same probated will was met with disdain from the foundation with a dismissive, ‘it does not matter’.

The questions remain: How long will this go on? How much more can this community organization be deprived of a due, just, and truly objective trial? When will the local commissions truly reflect the interests of the population? We at the Retro Revival have high hopes and expectations that this will find peace in its standing, and that the concept that DORIS wants to stress the most, partnership, is embraced with open arms by the foundation. How can anyone in good conscience forbid the people to feed into natural curiosity, respect, and love for ages past? We will watch closely for the next chapters of the Trials of Doris. The Duke legacy will never truly end with the great revival of the community that Doris always came home to.

Internationally, people have begun to turn their heads in the direction of Somerville, New Jersey in response to the outcry for Duke’s Country Manor. JB and Doris were two lifetimes full of selfless acts of kindness and they managed to carry out a variety of interests to everyone around them, especially while engaging with their community at home. But at the time of Doris’s death in 1993, things slowly deviated from her intended visions back home. This week I received an enormous amount of information hat left me hungrily curious and concerned for the property and family we all came to love.

So according to these developments, “There have been substantial changes to the Farm’s mission statement… that made it what it is today.” Naturally, I asked my colleagues what the mission statements were from years past. The letter, although vague, gave me some insight to where I could look to understand what changed so drastically that the Garden of Nations and Manor sit in a sullen, emptied state. I was answered that the mission statement today is “Duke Farms serves as a model of environmental stewardship and inspires visitors to become informed stewards of the land. It is a place of education, enjoyment and research that enhances the environmental health of the region” (dukefarms.org). We are still searching for the older missions to compare, but we have confirmation that it has been modified.

The probated will and final testament of Doris Duke, which was kindly generated from the DORIS group, is helping me see things as clearly as possible with regard to their intentions. One intellect explained that “I think [the mansion] was intentionally left alone because trustees and people in charge didn’t want to take on the project”. If this is true, then I’m proud to report that we may have a better shot with working together today than in yesteryears. The will explains in section 2A2 that indeed, the farm is to be used “solely for agricultural and horticultural purposes”, however what is often not discussed is that this was the expectation for “a certain portion” of the property, “known as the farmland and growing areas” (Will, page 2). The other portion was 2A1, which explained the expectations for another certain portion called the “parks area”. Perhaps there isn’t a distinction between the two anymore? I’m not sure. What I do know is that the parks area was intended to “protect endangered species of all kinds, both flora and fauna”. The orchid range and Garden of Nations conformed to this.

The great message here? If the endangered habitats from the gardens are gone, the one thing endangered left to protect is her home, the Country Manor.

Another intellect also talked about the fame of the landscape architects who worked on Doris’s various landscapes. He quotes, “They were prodigal, and no one matched their skill, Ellen Shipman and her apprentice…. It was two women who worked under the firm of Frederick Law Olmstead, the father of American landscape architecture.. I want to see someone recreate their designs since they were renowned in their art. Maybe that’s a way to get the history people and environment people to see eye to eye”. This last thought of this intellect gave me lots of hope. While there has been discussion about cost-efficiency being valued over the adherence to the vision of Duke’s, there are many ways to find middle ground to satisfy all parties. My mom always says ‘triumph’ can only be achieved when you try with a great big ‘umph’. it may be more work, but the effort is what I perceive as being most valued here. If the Foundation and DORIS/DCC groups band their resources together and create a new master plan, or even just incorporate mission statements together, their results could make a significant impact on the last “remaining intact estate” of our country’s industrial barons. I look forward to engaging on the collaborative progress, but in the meantime, I ask my readers not to send me any further statements critiquing the work of my collaboratives. This article was solely intended to inform. I respect all opinions, but I will not be persuaded into any offensive perspectives. Thank you for your cooperation and get ready for the 5th installment of the Trials of Doris coming on the 21st! We hope that everyone in the area is able to join us at the Mermaid pool on the 20th!

As of this lovely beginning to September welcomes falling leaves and a medley of new activities, it also welcomes a month of excitement and anticipation at Duke Farms and the DCC/DORIS initiatives. The public hearing to save the manor is coming up on the 24th, and the DCC Picnic is its antecedent on the 20th, and surely more activities and events are sure to follow. In this segment of the Trials of Doris, I’ve been accepting informational material about the Dukes’ philanthropic works over the years. I will also be releasing the results of last night’s DORIS meeting and the exciting long-term goals of the DCC and what you can do to become more involved. Also, as a bonus, we will be exploring Raritan’s latest announcements for JB’s pump house and original electric company building.

Courtesy of one of the members of the initiative and interest group, I received the following information regarding the chronology of the giving, generous spirit that the Dukes embodied so well! According to the May 17, 1944 article from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Miss Duke was cited for her volunteer work in Manhattan at a rest center for merchant seamen, operated under the USS. In The Warren County Observer, on June 22, 1961, Doris is noted for her generous contribution of $150,000 each to Soviet studies at both the University of Illinois and Duke University (NC). The reason for her contributions here was to promote education of Russia in a time of cold war attitudes between the first and second worlds. Her intentions were extremely positive. Again in 1969, we collected another newsprint describing Doris’ interest and activity in colonial restoration with Jackie Kennedy Onassis in Newport, Rhode Island. It established that “Income from private homes owned and leased by the foundation will help finance more restored homes and museums” (Greeley Daily Tribune, 9/23/69). It makes us all reflect for a moment and think about the future implements of her fiscal planning and adaptive reuse of antique structures.

What I find most valuable to the cause are two articles in particular. The Portsmouth Daily Times published in 1936, an article that allowed Doris to tell the world that she prefers her Somerville estate to anywhere else in the world. As the article explains, “She may roam the Earth, as she did after her marriage, tasting the fruit of wealth from foreign hands, but she always comes back to Somerville”. In addition, I cherish the words of Imelda Marcos in a 1993 article, “Doris Duke epitomized the word friendship”. This particular entry also touches base on her 3 million dollar donations to AIDS research and how renowned she was, and will be remembered as, for her philanthropic work. In this likeness, we hope to construct a future of the Duke legacy.

The September 3rd meeting for DORIS went excellently as well. Members have prepared diligently for the hearing on the 24th, and are prepared for a comfortable turnout at the picnic on the 20th. One point of interest of this last Thursday evening was the interest people have in sharing their stories of the farms and what experiences are unique to that property. When asked, the members encouraged all interested persons to attend the DCC picnic (described below), and to express their love of the grounds and their support of the mansion to media (letters to editors, calling news stations). EVERYONE IS ASKED TO SIGN THE PETITION AND SHARE IT WITH EVERYONE! https://www.change.org/p/duke-farms-foundaton-preserve-the-duke-mansion

The DCC, which is responsible for carrying out long-term collaborative interests with the farms has also become more active this month with their first hosted event, the DCC Picnic, slated for the afternoon of September 20th. All are encouraged to attend with their own lunch, blankets, and chairs as they choose. The Mermaid Pool, located south of the Great Falls on the property, will be their venue space. Any questions or for further details, please contact me at any time. Some other things to look forward to from the Duke Community Collaborative include charity events for the entire public which will send all proceeds to charities that conform to Doris’ same philanthropic interests. If you or someone you know has a request for our events, please send them in! Other ways to get involved include attending the picnic, networking with our key players from the DORIS and DCC groups, learning more about the estate, and sharing ideas.

Finally, in the last few weeks, the mayor of Raritan and her planning board released a publication for the adaptive reuse of the pump house and energy company belonging to JB Duke back in his heyday. The two structures in question are available in this article from Raritan. This hopeful development will encourage the concept of adaptive reuse with homage to the local history that floods this and surrounding areas. Much like the interest of the groups that formed in reaction to the Manor’s hearing, many people are favoring the suggestions for Raritan’s structures because they beautifully marry the public interests in preserving and reusing historic structures and hosting environmental recreations as a focus.

With this, I leave you to ponder, readers. The next several articles will give some insight into the life that the Dukes led, which was largely based out of their beautiful New Jersey estate. Our next large segment will come in several weeks in the wake of the picnic. Thank you as always, and stay curious!

In this article of the Trials of Doris, I’ll be exploring the updates from the latest DORIS meeting and publishing some interesting tidbits of the Duke’s legacy. Most interestingly, is that the DCC (Duke Community Collaborative) is now taking the public’s preliminary ideas for what they would like to do for the estate.

On August 19th, DORIS held its second meeting, which was, summarily, a marvelous success. Several key players attended this meeting and the total number of attendees in a single week doubled. The outcry, which continues to happily root itself in all sorts of newspapers and online journals, has caught the attention of nearly 3,000 people as of this evening, according to Change.org. From the last meeting, The Retro Revival gathered that several large informative projects are being constructed and researched. All members are diligent at work in all aspects of the preparation for the September hearing. In time, they plan on releasing more details of their ‘homework’. The DCC will be hosting a Picnic with The Dukes on the weekend of September 19th. Bring your picnic blankets, favorite lunch, interest, and meet at the meadows of the Mermaid Pool, a favorite location of Doris herself! Let’s have an afternoon in her likeness. We’re looking for which day works for you! Answer our poll, and we’ll pick the day that wins! 

Another fascinating topic is what tidbits we find from the world wide web on Doris’ life. First, here are some of Doris’ Home Videos. Also available is the grim reminder of why the Manor is so essential to preserve. The Garden of Nations’ fate was not a merciful one. Here, a visitor documents the Garden of Nations, and another documents The ruins that remain. Its current state is what DORIS and the DCC fear will become of Doris’ beloved home. The initiatives here firmly believe there are ways to marry the environmental and historic-centered mission statements with the uses of these structures and other areas of interest on the grounds. Another small tidbit that the group adds is that “Hillsborough was Doris’ home. It was here that she wasn’t some celebrity as much as she was able to be a resident”. In the Home Videos segment, we can see Doris featured on New Jersey participating in caring for her flora and fauna alike; which she reportedly loved to do. Unlike other locations, the farms were her escape to her caliber of home life- and she expressed her love outwardly for her land!

As for the final topic of this installment, the Collaborative is, and will always be enlisting the ideas of the people to create a Duke Farms that we’re all proud to be a part of. What we look for now in the anticipation of this next hearing (September 24th), is the feedback of the people! What kinds of volunteers would be willing to donate their time and efforts? What possible programs would you want to participate in or create? What are your favorite aspects of the property? We want to hear from you! Anything you may have to contribute, we heartily encourage you to comment below or on our Facebook page, Retro Revival on Facebook! Thank you to our friends from DORIS and the Change.org page for the continuous support.