Duke Farms

Starting in 1893, "Buck" Duke started to buy land next to the Raritan River in rural New Jersey. His vision was to create a farm similar to those in North Carolina where he had grown up. He engaged a number of architects and engineers to fulfill his dream, including Buckenham & Miller, James Leal Greenleaf and Ellen Biddle Shipman. Eventually he had assembled about 2,700 acres (11 km2) of farm and wood lands that contained 45 buildings, 9 lakes, 18 miles of roads, 810 acres of woodlands, 464 acres of grassland bird habitat and 1.5 miles of stone walls. Duke died in 1925, and his 12-year-old daughter, Doris Duke, gained control of the property after suing her mother, who had wanted to sell it. She restored it and moved in at the age of fifteen. Duke Gardens opened to the public in 1964. Doris Duke died in 1993. ==As park for the public ==

Duke Farms is a center of the Doris Duke Foundation. A decision was made to renovate the estate as "a model of environmental stewardship in the 21st Century and (to) inspire visitors to become informed stewards of the land." While reorganizing the estate, little was accessible to the public. In 2008, DF created some controversy when it permanently closed Duke Gardens, demolishing the indoor display gardens that had been created by Doris Duke. and two champion trees, a Northern Red Oak and an Amur Cork Tree. On May 19, 2012, Duke Farms opened to the public. After a $45-million renovation, Duke Farms now serves as an environmental center that "aims to inspire people to become guardians of the planet, and to be a free, inclusive, accessible resource for helping everyone find their place in nature." Duke Farms' restored habitats now include 30 endangered species and 230 varieties of birds, among which are the great blue heron and the bald eagle. In 2016, the mansion where Doris Duke lived was demolished in order to open up the north side of the property. This opened up access to the Borough of Raritan and Raritan Greenway trails. ==Gallery==

File:Neoclassical structure at Duke Farms.png File:Signs at Duke Farms.png File:Lake Ecosystems at Duke Farms.png File:Duke Gardens.png File:Duke Farms Statue.png File:9-11 memorial in Duke Farms.jpg File:Statue of Young Child in Duke Farms.png File:Inside the Hay Barn in Duke Farms, Hillsborough, New Jersey.jpg|alt=Picture of the inside of the Hay Barn. White statues are spaced around the perimeter. File:DukeFarms.JPG|alt=Picture of the Duke Farms Orientation Center. File:Orchid Range at Duke Farms.jpg ==See also==