Duke Farm

Daisies at Dukes
      HILLSBOROUGH,  NJ- James Buchanan Duke, famous tobacco entrepreneur and millionaire, built a mansion with hundreds of acres of property right here in Hillsborough. At the young age of twenty-eight, Buck, as he was called, opened a branch of his family's factory in New York City. Originally located in North Carolina, Buck expanded the family business all the way from North Carolina to throughout the entire nation. Over the next five years, the Duke family was in control of half the country's gross production of cigarettes. After the big "tobacco war" among the five principal manufacturers, Duke emerged as the president of the American Tobacco Company, which within a decade became a multinational corporation. One of many, this particular estate became one of the most significant, as it was his daughter’s favorite. Doris Duke, who inherited the house at the age of 16, went on to become one of the wealthiest and philanthropic women in the entire world. That's pretty impressive!
The Duke estate here has beautiful trails that the public is allowed to walk, bike and explore. On the property besides the house, which is no longer open to the public, there is a green house, stage house, nursery, visitors center, and several other structures. It is a beautiful, well maintained stretch of land that I visit frequently in my spare time. They were planning on building another house on the site, but it was abandoned, and I've enjoyed many picnics upon the crumbling marble stairs. It's a great place to go on a little romantic date, or take quality pictures with friend on a nice day. It's a laid-back way to de-stress and wind down from a tough week. It's a pretty place to go, especially if you are in to physical exercise and quiet, natural environments filled with wildlife. For more information, you can visit the Duke Foundation website at http://dukefarms.org/