To the editor:
Another historic structure in jeopardy from the wrecking ball? So, it appears to be the case at the Duke Farms in Hillsborough, where the palatial main residence of Doris Duke has now been declared “infeasible” for restoration by the non-profit that administers this approximately 2,500-acre property for public use.
Here’s the ironic part: while the Duke family in 1987 sought historic designation of this house and the property, the Duke Farms Foundation now seeks to ignore that classification by arguing that the structure is not historic, since restoration is not part of their “vision.”
The funny part about this issue is that most historic properties are in jeopardy since there aren’t the financial resources or any uses for the structure that allows for adaptive reuse. Here, the larger Duke Charitable Foundation that oversees DFF has a net worth of over $1.79 billion dollars and all kinds of potential adaptive reuses for this residence, so that it could readily be part of a vision for this publicly programmed property. The residents of Hillsborough, Somerset County, New Jersey and the nation deserve better, so a group is forming to stop this demolition and your help is needed. This question is presently before the Hillsborough Historic Preservation Commission and will be heard on Sept. 24.
Protecting our history is critical to our future. Preserved historic buildings, events and properties allow for educational and cultural enjoyment and give all people an opportunity to better understand where we have been and why we as a people and country need to protect these resources for future generations. The proposal by DFF to demolish the historic Doris Duke Mansion in Hillsborough will hurt local, county and national preservation efforts and should not be approved. DFF was established as a non-profit after Doris Duke’s death and has for the most part done a fabulous job of opening up her reclusive estate for public use. Unfortunately, its latest proposal to tear down the former main residence of Doris Duke is misguided and it fails to recognize the importance of the preservation of this structure in the overall context of this grand estate and the value that restoring it adds to the community.
Thanks to the large number of people who spoke out against this proposal at the July 30 Hillsborough Historic Preservation Commission meeting, no decision has been made on its fate and the Commission will reconvene on September 24 to further consider this matter and take public comment.
We need your help to stop this demolition. A group has formed specifically focused on saving the Doris Duke Mansion, aptly named “DORIS” or “Demolition Of Residence Is Senseless.” Please consider getting involved and joining our group so we can all act together to save this historical gem. Send an email to [email protected] to start the process of coordinating our efforts to stop this proposed demolition at the September 24 meeting of the Hillsborough Township Historic Preservation Commission. We will succeed if you help!
David Brook
Hillsborough
