The Mansion that Never Was

Imagine at age 12
becoming the richest girl in America.



Image at age 14
having the guts to sue your mother.



Imagine at age 15
controlling an estate of
27 acres
45 Buildings
9 lakes
18 miles of roads
and
1.5 miles of stone walls.



Imagine being Doris Duke.
Heiress, Horticulturist, Philanthropist, Art Collector.



But something was missing:  A mansion.
The foundation lies abandoned.
The upper floors never built.


The Crumbling Foundation  
of the Mansion that Never Was 

Doris' father, James Buchanan Duke
of Duke University fame,
quit the project,
fired the workers,
and put his focus in Europe
when the US government dissolved his company
due to it being considered a monopoly.



But Doris loved the property
and because of her
 it is left for us to enjoy today.


Inside the Orchid House

You can visit Duke Farms
in Hillsborough, NJ
free of charge
thanks to the Doris Duke Foundation.
It is worth the visit.

All photos taken at Duke Farms.
My gallery is here. 

The Party's Here! Where I am linking these days.

            

 My blog posts to my facebook page: