Duke Gardens (New Jersey)

Duke Gardens in Somerset County, New Jersey were among the most significant glass house collections in America. Created by Doris Duke herself, the aerial view confirms they were larger than the New York Botanical Garden's Haupt Conservatory, and were open to the public from 1964. They were closed by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation [2] on or before May 25, 2008 and dismantled.

Duke Gardens were part of the 2,700-acre (1,100 ha) Duke Farms estate built by James Buchanan Duke, founder of the American Tobacco Company and benefactor of Duke University. Duke Farms is located on U.S. Route 206, 1.75 miles (2.82 km) south of the Somerville Circle, in Hillsborough Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. The Gardens were designed and installed by Doris Duke herself, therefore several alternative names are used: The Doris Duke Indoor Display Gardens at Duke Farms, Duke Farms Indoor Display Gardens, The Doris Duke International Display Gardens, The Duke Gardens Foundation. Officially, the Gardens were The Duke Gardens Foundation, Inc, a 501(c)(3) Private Operating Foundation established 1960.

Miss Duke developed these exotic display gardens in honor of her beloved father James Buchanan Duke, Inspired by DuPont's Longwood Gardens, each of the eleven Duke Display Gardens is a full-scale re-creation of a garden theme, country or period. Display construction began in 1958. Miss Duke both designed the displays and labored on their installation, sometimes working 16-hour days. In 1960 she donated 10 acres (4.0 ha) of her estate, including the greenhouses, to the Duke Gardens Foundation, Inc.[3]

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