Benjamin Newton Duke (1855-1929) was a tobacco manufacturer, industrialist, and philanthropist of Durham, NC and New York, NY and a trustee and major benefactor of Trinity College (later Duke University). He was the son of Washington Duke, older brother of James B. Duke, husband of Sarah Pearson Angier Duke, and father of Angier Buchanan Duke and Mary Duke Biddle. The materials in this collection document the business, financial, philanthropic, and personal interests of Benjamin N. Duke and his family, especially Duke's involvement in the tobacco, textile, banking, and hydroelectric industries in North Carolina and New York and the Duke family's financial support of a variety of institutions, including educational institutions for African Americans and women, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and individual churches, orphanages, hospitals, and community organizations. The Richard B. Arrington series and Alexander H. Sands, Jr., series document the personal and financial interests of Benjamin N. Duke's private secretaries in New York, NY.

The papers of Benjamin Newton Duke have been collected from various sources over time and span the years 1834 to 1969, although the bulk of the material dates from 1890 to 1929. The materials in the collection document the business, financial, philanthropic, and personal interests of Benjamin N. Duke and his family in Durham, NC and New York, NY, especially Duke's involvement in the tobacco, textile, banking, and hydroelectric industries and the Duke family's financial support of a variety of institutions, including educational institutions for African Americans and women, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and individual churches, orphanages, hospitals, and community organizations. Types of material in the collection include correspondence, financial statements and ledgers, bills and receipts, architectural blueprints and drawings, land plats, deeds, photographs, photograph albums, scrapbooks, and a diary.

Family members represented include Sarah P. Duke, Angier Buchanan Duke, Mary Duke Biddle, Washington Duke, James B. Duke, Brodie L. Duke, Lida Duke Angier, and Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. Other individuals represented include Julian S. Carr, William A. Erwin, John C. Kilgo, William P. Few, Daniel Lindsay Russell, James E. Shepard, and George W. Watts.

The Richard B. Arrington series and Alexander H. Sands, Jr. series document the personal and financial interests of Benjamin N. Duke's private secretaries in New York, NY.

Doris Duke was the only child of James Buchanan (J.B.) Duke, a founder of the American Tobacco Company and Duke Energy Company and a benefactor of Duke University, and Nanaline Holt Duke. Although Doris did her best to live a private life, she carried on the Duke family's pattern of philanthropy by contributing to a number of public causes such as the arts, historic preservation, and the environment. Doris Duke died in October 1993 at the age of 80. In her will she left the majority of her estate to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The Doris Duke Audio Visual Collection was created by combining 8mm, 16mm, and 35mm film reels, vinyl recordings, audiocassettes, and associated manuscript materials relating to Doris Duke's travels, her various estates, and her interests in jazz and gospel music, dance, history, and culture. The collection covers the years 1899 to 2012 and is organized into three series: Moving Images, Audio, and Sheet Music and Index Cards.

The Doris Duke Audiovisual Collection was created by combining 8mm, 16mm, and 35mm film reels, vinyl recordings, audiocassettes, and associated manuscript materials relating to Doris Duke's travels, her various estates, and her interests in jazz and gospel music, dance, history, and culture. The collection covers the years 1899 to 2012 and is organized into three series: Moving Images, Audio, and Sheet Music and Index Cards.

Doris Duke was the only child of James Buchanan (J.B.) Duke, a founder of the American Tobacco Company and Duke Energy Company and a benefactor of Duke University, and Nanaline Holt Duke. Inheriting a bulk of her father's estate in 1925, which included Duke Farms in New Jersey, Rough Point in Newport, R.I., and a mansion in New York City, Doris was soon dubbed by the press as "the richest girl in the world." Although Doris did her best to live a private life, she carried on the Duke family's pattern of philanthropy by contributing to a number of public causes such as the arts, historic preservation, and the environment. Doris Duke died in October 1993 at the age of 80. In her will she left the majority of her estate to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The Doris Duke Memorabilia Collection contains personal artifacts belonging to Doris Duke. The artifacts widely vary, yet tend to reflect what was important to Miss Duke including travel, philanthropy, growing orchids, and music. Of particular interest are those items from Doris Duke's childhood including scrapbooks, yearbooks, and homework assignments.

The Doris Duke Memorabilia Collection is part of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Historical Archives which were donated to the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The collection is artificial in nature, created by combining personal artifacts belonging to Doris Duke. The artifacts widely vary, yet tend to reflect what was important to Miss Duke including travel, philanthropy, growing orchids, and music. Of particular interest are those items from Doris Duke's childhood including scrapbooks, yearbooks, and homework assignments.

The Doris Duke Memorabilia Collection covers the period 1898 to 2011 and is divided into 5 series: Awards and Tributes, Indentification and Membership Cards, Invitations, Miscellaneous, and Postcards. The materials are loosely arranged in chronological order.

Born on November 22, 1912, Doris Duke was the only child of James Buchanan (J.B.) Duke, a founder of the American Tobacco Company and Duke Energy Company and a benefactor of Duke University, and Nanaline Holt Duke. Inheriting a bulk of her father's estate in 1925, which included Duke Farms in New Jersey, Rough Point in Newport, R.I., and a mansion in New York City, Doris was soon dubbed by the press as "the richest girl in the world." Although Doris did her best to live a private life, she contributed to a number of public causes and was an active supporter of the arts, historic preservation, and the environment. Doris Duke died in October 1993 at the age of 80. In her will she left the majority of her estate to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The Doris Duke Papers were created by combining materials maintained by staff at the Duke Business Office and/or household staff of the Main Residence, on Doris Duke's behalf. It mostly contains the personal papers generated by or about Doris Duke throughout her lifetime. The collection covers the period 1798 to 2003, although the majority of the collection is concentrated in the 1930s to 1993. The collection is organized into 9 series limited to Doris Duke's personal relationships, dealings, and interests: Administrative Records, Personal Correspondence, Financial Records, Legal Records, Reports and Summaries, Subject Files, and Duke Business Office Safe.

The Doris Duke papers (formerly MSS.001) is part of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Historical Archives which were donated to the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The collection is artificial in nature, created by combining materials maintained by staff at the Duke Business Office and/or household staff of the Main Residence, on Doris Duke's behalf. It mostly contains the personal papers generated by or about Doris Duke throughout her lifetime. Since Doris Duke's staff maintained her professional and personal records, often in the same filing structures, materials regarding her personal life were intermingled throughtout the larger collection. In order to improve access to important documents, all materials of a personal nature were selected out and incorporated into this collection. The only major exception is Series VII: Duke Business Office Safe, where the personal and professional contents of the office are maintained together to preserve the integrity of the materials and serve as a testament to business operations.

The Doris Duke Papers covers the period 1798 to 2003, although the majority of the collection is concentrated in the 1930s to 1993. The collection is divided into 7 series limited to Doris Duke's personal relationships, dealings, and interests: Administrative Records, Personal Correspondence (RESTRICTED), Financial Records, Legal Records, Reports and Summaries, Subject Files, and Duke Business Office Safe.

Doris Duke was the only child of James Buchanan (J.B.) Duke, a founder of the American Tobacco Company and Duke Energy Company and a benefactor of Duke University, and Nanaline Holt Duke. Inheriting a bulk of her father's estate in 1925, which included Duke Farms in New Jersey, Rough Point in Newport, R.I., and a mansion in New York City, Doris was soon dubbed by the press as "the richest girl in the world." Although Doris did her best to live a private life, she carried on the Duke family's pattern of philanthropy by contributing to a number of public causes such as the arts, historic preservation, and the environment. Doris Duke died in October 1993 at the age of 80. In her will she left the majority of her estate to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The Doris Duke Photograph Collection was created by combining color and black and white photographs, slides, negatives, and other photographic formats contained in albums, boxes, picture frames, and envelopes.

The Doris Duke Photograph Collection was created by combining color and black and white photographs, slides, negatives, and other photographic formats contained in albums, boxes, picture frames, and envelopes into groupings closely mirroring the collections that constitute the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Historical Archives. The collection covers the years 1870 to 2006 and is organized into twelve series: Doris Duke, Duke Endowment, Duke Farms, Duke Gardens, Duke Family, Falcon Lair, General, New York Apartments/New York Mansion, Newport Restoration Foundation, Rough Point, Southeast Asian Art and Culture (SEAAC), and Shangri La.

In cases where the copyright of the image does not belong to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, these are noted in the finding aid and use restrictions/citation information is included when possible.

The Duke Endowment was established by James Buchanan Duke as a perpetual charitable trust in 1924, with the following types of beneficiaries, mainly residing in North Carolina and South Carolina: non-profit hospitals and child care institutions; educational institutions; and rural churches of the Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (now the United Methodist Church). The Duke Endowment Archives span the years 1902 to 2006, with the bulk of the material dating from 1925 through 2006. The collection documents the administration of the corpus of the trust and the charitable contributions made to the categories of recipients named in the Indenture and Deed of Trust establishing The Endowment. The majority of the records are arranged into series that reflect the organization of the institution, including the Board of Trustees, Treasurer's Office, Controller's Office, Investment Office, Education Division and Committee on Communications, Health Care and Child Care Divisions, and Rural Church Division. Smaller series, documenting such other activities as record-keeping, publications, and history of The Endowment, include: Central Files, Oral History Project, Trust Under Will, Publications, Miscellaneous, Photographic Materials, and Audiovisual Materials. The collection consists of the following types of materials: correspondence; minutes of meetings; financial records; applications for assistance from hospitals, child care institutions, and churches; statistics; publications; oral history tapes and transcripts; architectural drawings and blueprints; photographs; audio cassettes; and miscellaneous records and papers. The geographic focus is primarily North Carolina and South Carolina.

The Duke Endowment Archives span the years 1902 to 2018, although the bulk of the material dates from 1925 through 2006. The collection consists of correspondence; minutes of meetings; financial records; applications for assistance from hospitals, child care institutions, and churches; statistics; publications; oral history tapes and transcripts; architectural drawings and blueprints; photographs; audio cassettes; and miscellaneous records and papers. The collection documents the administration of the corpus of the trust and the charitable contributions made to the categories of recipients named in the Indenture and Deed of Trust establishing The Duke Endowment. Records are arranged to reflect the responsibilities and operations of the Endowment's trustees, officers, and divisions, with major series including: the Board of Trustees, Treasurer's Office, Controller's Office, Investment Office, Education Division and Committee on Communications, Health Care and Child Care Divisions, and Rural Church Division. Smaller series, documenting such other activities as record-keeping, publications, and the Endowment's history, include: Central Files, Oral History Project, Trust Under Will, Publications, Miscellaneous, Photographic Materials, and Audiovisual Materials. Subject areas represented in the collection include: the history of foundations, hospital and child care demographics and other statistics, rural church buildings and activities, the construction of Duke University, and the life of James Buchanan Duke. The geographic focus is primarily North Carolina and South Carolina.

When James Buchanan Duke established The Duke Endowment as a perpetual charitable trust in 1924, he formalized a tradition of philanthropy that he and other members of the Duke family had practiced for many years, especially with regard to Duke University (formerly Trinity College). The life of James B. Duke, including his philanthropic interests, is documented in the Oral History Project Series (RESTRICTED) and Miscellaneous Series (RESTRICTED), and, to a lesser extent, the Health Care and Child Care Divisions Series' (RESTRICTED) Feasibility Study and Rural Church Division Series (RESTRICTED), Correspondence Subseries. The 100th Anniversary of James B. Duke's birth and interest in Mr. Duke's home in Charlotte, N.C., are documented in the Miscellaneous Series.

The Indenture and Deed of Trust establishing The Duke Endowment delineates the type of beneficiaries eligible for its support. These include non-profit hospitals and child care institutions; educational institutions; and rural churches of the Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (now the United Methodist Church), including retired ministers and widows and orphans of deceased ministers. Beneficiaries usually reside within North Carolina and South Carolina, i.e., generally the areas served by the water power facilities established by Mr. Duke, although under certain conditions other states may be served. The textile mills served by hydroelectric power were of special interest to Mr. Duke. A statistical study of cotton mills that he requested is in the Miscellaneous Series. The Indenture and Deed of Trust specifies that hospitals and child care institutions for Whites and African Americans should be supported. The Duke Endowment provides technical assistance as well as funding. Specific educational institutions were named in the Indenture: Davidson College, Davidson, N.C.; Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Furman University, Greenville, S.C.; and Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, N.C.

For the original corpus of The Endowment, James B. Duke assigned shares of stock from Duke Power Company, British-American Tobacco Company, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, George W. Helme Company, Republic Cotton Mills, and Judson Mills. The Indenture stipulates how income and capital from the corpus should be managed and includes specific directives for handling the stock of Duke Power Company. Continuous records for the financial management of the assets of The Duke Endowment are in the Treasurer's Office (RESTRICTED), Controller's Office (RESTRICTED), and Investment Office Series (RESTRICTED). The volumes in the Controller's Office Series include records of payments made and management of the corpus as well as The Endowment's general operating expenses, such as salaries, rents, furniture, and supplies. The Investment Office Series contains records pertaining to companies in which The Duke Endowment invested. The Treasurer's Office Series includes an historical overview of The Endowment's expenditures and includes the minutes of the Finance Committee, which was established in 1975. The Treasurer's Office Series includes Beneficiary Information System reports, which provide geographic breakdowns of payments to institutions from the inception of The Duke Endowment to the present, and a summary that lists each institution or beneficiary group and how it used funds from The Endowment. The Treasurer's Office and Investment Office records do not reflect the overall financial management of The Duke Endowment.

The first members of the Board of Trustees of The Duke Endowment--Nanaline H. Duke, George G. Allen, William R. Perkins, William B. Bell, Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Walter C. Parker, Alexander H. Sands, Jr., William S. Lee, Charles I. Burkholder, Norman A. Cocke, Edward C. Marshall, and Bennette C. Geer--were named in the Indenture as parties of the second part. As stipulated by the Indenture, the trustees were required to meet at least ten times a year and the minutes of the meetings were to be recorded. The minutes are located in the Board of Trustees Series (RESTRICTED). Miscellaneous papers and pictures of some trustees, especially of Watson S. Rankin, a physician, who was also head of the Hospital and Child Care Divisions for many years, are in the Miscellaneous Series. Rankin was an early proponent of rural hospitals as a way to make health care available to greater numbers of citizens. The related correspondence of Graham L. Davis, assistant to Watson S. Rankin, is in the Health Care and Child Care Division Series (RESTRICTED), Health Care Subseries. The Publications Series includes material by or about several trustees.

The Indenture directed the trustees to expend funds for the establishment of Duke University. Designated by Mr. Duke "as one of the principal objects of this trust," a percentage of The Duke Endowment's corpus was to be applied annually for its support. Duke Construction Company was organized by the Board of Trustees to build the university (now known as the West Campus). The architect Horace Trumbauer designed the campus buildings and plant, and the landscape was designed by Olmstead Brothers. Financial records for the construction of Duke University, including the operation of Duke Construction Company, are in the Controller's Office Series (RESTRICTED) and architectural drawings for the buildings, campus plot, and landscaping are in the Miscellaneous Series. Documentation of The Endowment's support of the other educational institutions named in the Indenture, including disbursements and income generated, is in the volumes in the Controller's Office Series.

Non-profit hospitals receive support from The Duke Endowment for free days of care for individuals unable to pay the costs of hospitalization. If all the funds designated for free days of care are not spent in any given year, excess funds may be used for support of hospital construction, maintenance, and equipment. Medical education is also supported, and technical assistance for administrative functions is provided through published manuals. A similar arrangement was established for societies, agencies, or institutions that cared for orphans and half-orphans. The Health Care and Child Care Divisions, Central Files (RESTRICTED), and Publications Series provide detailed documentation for institutions and programs that receive assistance from The Duke Endowment.

The history of hospital services and statistics for the types of admissions in North Carolina and South Carolina, especially rural areas, can be studied in the Health Care and Child Care Divisions Series, Health Care Division Subseries [NOTE: Formerly known as the Hospital and Child Care Divisions Series and the Hospital Division Subseries, respectively]. The applications from individual hospitals, as well as summaries and statistics that group institutions into comparable categories, provide important documentation about the various types of hospitals and their clients in North Carolina and South Carolina, including hospitals' economic statuses, physical plants, and in-patient and out-patient demographics. Most of the earlier statistics include breakdowns for the number of African American and White patients served and their medical profiles.

The history of institutional child care in North Carolina and South Carolina is documented in the Health Care and Child Care Divisions Series, Child Care Division Subseries. The Child Care Division applications for assistance describe the individual institutions that request support from The Duke Endowment. The applications include information about the physical plant, administration and financial status, population statistics, and the physical care and education of children. The summaries use the information in the applications for assistance and group it by type of institution, e.g., religious, community, county, state, more than 150 beds, under 151 beds with farms, White, African American, etc.

Minutes in the Health Care and Child Care Divisions Series, Health Care and Child Care Committee Subseries document some discussions of how funds would be allocated by The Duke Endowment. The published Annual Reports of the Hospital and Child Care Divisions include substantial statistical information and summary reports about specific institutions served during the year. These reports, located in the Publications Series, are a useful place to begin research about hospital and child care. Reports for these divisions are also in the Year Books.

Between 1915 and 1924, Mr. Duke made systematic contributions to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, for churches in the North Carolina and Western North Carolina conferences. His contributions were first administered through the Board of Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In 1920 Trinity College began to administer the funds. The Church Architect Program files in the Rural Church Division Series (RESTRICTED), Miscellaneous Subseries reflect another arrangement between Duke University and the Rural Church Division. The creation of The Duke Endowment established a formal trust to continue similar support for building and operating rural churches, income for superannuated ministers, and widows and orphans of deceased ministers. The records of the Rural Church Series, Building Grant Files and Church Maintenance Files Subseries document the assistance that individual churches received to build, maintain, and operate churches. Many of these records include oversize blueprints or architectural drawings. There are also records for special projects and other activities supported by The Duke Endowment. The Correspondence Subseries includes information about the concerns of specific churches as well as Methodism and religion in general. Area economic conditions were often described in the correspondence.

The Education Division and the Committee on Communications are currently responsible for publications produced by The Duke Endowment. The Publications Series is a useful starting place for information about The Endowment's activities for a given year or for a historical overview of the foundation. Publications, especially the Annual Reports and Year Books, provide information about the trustees and staff; changes in the organization of The Duke Endowment; and summary information about various divisions, including financial distributions and income, statistics, and specific programs and activities supported by The Endowment at various institutions. Additional publications are in the Miscellaneous Series. Daily operations of The Duke Endowment are documented in the General Correspondence in the Central Files Series. Some general history about The Endowment is located in the Miscellaneous Series, including a signed copy of the Indenture and anniversary celebrations of the 1930s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1990s.

The Oral History Project Series (RESTRICTED), a project initiated in 1963, records the reminiscences of people who were knowledgeable about Duke University, the Duke family, and North Carolina and the region in general. The interviews were conducted by Frank W. Rounds of the Oral History Project of Columbia University. The correspondence includes outlines of the names of interviewees and the subjects they were to discuss.

Two groups of non-print materials and of oversize materials complete the collection. The Photographic Materials Series (RESTRICTED) contains approximately 200 photographs relating mainly to the Rural Church Division Series, especially the Committees on Church Architecture, and to the Miscellaneous Series. Several audio cassette recordings in the Audiovisual Materials Series (RESTRICTED) document miscellaneous meetings and addresses pertaining to the Health Care and Child Care Divisions Series. Although series from throughout the collection are represented in the Oversize Materials (RESTRICTED), this group is particularly rich in blueprints and other architectural drawings that support related materials in the Miscellaneous Series and in the Rural Church Division Series, Building Grant Files Subseries.

J.B. Duke acquired a lot on the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 78th Street and commissioned Horace Trumbauer to draw the plans for a new residence in 1909. It was in this mansion that his daughter Doris was born and raised. After J.B.'s death in 1925, Nanaline continued to live in the mansion until January, 1958 when she and Doris donated the house to New York University's Institute of Fine Arts. Throughout her adulthood Doris continued to live in New York City, residing in a penthouse located at 3 E. 84th Street and a penthouse at 475 Park Avenue, which was her last New York City residence when she died in 1993. The collection primarily documents the expenses and daily operations of running and maintaining three large residences in New York City. Materials include invoices and receipts for repairs and renovations to the residences, correspondence and memoranda relating to routine matters of the residences including expenses, inventories of furniture, fixtures, and other household items, and appraisals of the residences and their household effects. A majority of the architectural records in this collection are related to the design and construction of J.B. Duke's mansion at 1 E. 78th Street.

The Duke Family New York Apartments Collection (formerly NYM, NYA84, and NYA) is part of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Historical Archives which were donated to the Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. This collection consists of three record groups that were intentionally assembled due to the similarity of the subject. The collection spans the years 1908 to 1997, beginning with the design and construction of James B. Duke's mansion at 1 E. 78th Street and ending with the maintenance and general upkeep of Doris Duke's 475 Park Avenue apartment after her death. The collection is arranged in three series by purchase date: New York Mansion (1 E. 78th Street), New York Apartment (3 E. 84th Street, Penthouse), and New York Apartment (475 Park Avenue, Penthouse B). Each of the series has an Administrative Records sub series; however the New York Mansion and 475 Park Avenue Penthouse both have an Architectural Records sub series. The collection primarily documents the expenses and daily operations of running and maintaining three large residences in New York City. Administrative records for all three series generally include invoices and receipts for repairs and renovations to the residences, correspondence and memoranda relating to routine matters of the residences including expenses, inventories of furniture, fixtures, and other household items, and appraisals of the residences and their household effects. A majority of the architectural records in this collection are related to the design and construction of J.B. Duke's mansion at 1 E. 78th Street. The materials in this collection are arranged loosely in chronological order.

James Buchanan (J.B.) Duke (1856-1925) was known for his business acumen, especially in national and international tobacco industries and hydroelectric power. He was married twice, first to Lillian McCredy, who he divorced in 1906 and then Nanaline Holt Inman, who was his spouse from 1907 until his death in 1925. This collection primarily documents James B. Duke's business and personal activities. Materials include business and personal correspondence, invoices and receipts for both business and personal purchases, financial and legal reports, the last will and testaments of both James B. and Nanaline Duke, and materials documenting the divorce proceedings of J.B. and Lillian McCredy Duke. Miscellaneous records include a booklet tracing the Duke family geneaology.

The Duke Family Papers (formerly DKFM) are part of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Historical Archives which were donated to the Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The collection spans the years 1885 to 1992, although the bulk of the material dates from the 1890s to the mid-1920s. The collection is arranged into six series: Correspondence, Financial Records, Legal Records, Miscellaneous Records, the Divorce Proceedings of James B. Duke and Lillian McCredy Duke, and Architectural Records. The collection primarily documents James B. Duke's business and personal activities. The correspondence is a combination of business and personal letters, with many of the personal letters related to his philanthropy, such as requests from individuals for financial aid and other forms of assistance or favors, such as making investments and employment. Financial records include invoices and receipts for his businesses such as the British American Tobacco Company and the Raritan Power Co., and purchases for his Fifth Avenue mansion in New York City, Duke Farms in New Jersey, and other personal belongings such as furniture, clothing, and jewelry. The collection also documents the administration of the Estate of James B. Duke, including legal proceedings stemming from claims made against the estate after the will of James B. Duke had been executed. A quarter of the collection focuses on the divorce of J.B. Duke and his first wife Lillian, including statements and affidavits of witnesses involved in the divorce proceedings.Miscellaneous records include a booklet tracing the Duke family geneaology and the Duke Name Project including incomplete names of Duke family members. The architectural records include one drawing for J.B. Duke's home in Charlotte, North Carolina. The remaining architectural records document the residence of Walker P. Inman. The materials in this collection are arranged loosely in chronological order.

Duke Farms, a 2,700 acre estate located in Hillsborough, New Jersey, was developed by James Buchanan (J.B.) Duke beginning in 1893. After J.B. Duke's death in 1925, Doris Duke inherited the property. Over the course of nearly seven decades she worked to continue the legacy of Duke Farms and introduced environmentally-friendly and innovative farming methods into the operations of Duke Farms and purchased and restored farms and farmstead structures in order to forestall the rapid loss of farmland to urban development. When she died she left the majority of her estate to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with her expressed wish that Duke Farms be used to drive positive change on a number of key issues regarding the stewardship of the natural environment. The collection is arranged into four series: Administrative Records, Duke Business Office Records, Duke Farms Main Residence Records, and Architectural Records. It spans the years 1859 to 2004, beginning with the early vision and evolution of the estate by James Buchanan (J.B.) Duke, the enhancement and management of the estate by Doris Duke after she inherited control of it upon her father's death, and ending with the general upkeep of the estate after Doris Duke's death in 1993. The collection primarily documents the daily operations of running, renovating, and maintaining the Duke Farms estate, and includes daily activity reports, correspondence, notes, and specifications for various architectural projects at Duke Farms, invoices and vouchers for repairs at different buildings on the estate, cattle inventories and cow registrations, financial ledgers and cashbooks, and security ledgers and reports. The architectural records are further arranged into seven sub series and contain a wide assortment of records, including blueprints, diazo prints, site plans, schedules, and maps. The materials document a variety of design, construction, and farm-related activities at Duke Farms.

The Duke Family papers on the Duke Farms residence (formerly DF.3) is part of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Historical Archives which were donated to the Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The collection is arranged into four series: Administrative Records, Duke Business Office Records, Duke Farms Main Residence Records, and Architectural Records. It spans the years 1859 to 2004, beginning with the early vision and evolution of the estate by James Buchanan (J.B.) Duke, the enhancement and management of the estate by Doris Duke after she inherited control of it upon her father's death, and ending with the general upkeep of the estate after Doris Duke's death in 1993. The collection primarily documents the daily operations of running, renovating, and maintaining the Duke Farms estate, and includes deeds, mortgages, and agreements relating to the formation of J.B. Duke's Hillsborough property, daily activity reports, correspondence, notes, and specifications for various architectural projects at Duke Farms, invoices and vouchers for repairs at different buildings on the estate including the Main Residence, cattle inventories and cow registrations, financial ledgers and cashbooks, and security ledgers and reports. The architectural records are further arranged into seven sub series and contain a wide assortment of records, including blueprints, diazo prints, site plans, schedules, and maps. The materials document a variety of design, construction, and farm-related activities at Duke Farms. The arrangement of the collection varies with each series.

On October 15, 1958 the Duke Gardens Foundation was incorporated with the purpose of "developing thereon agricultural, botanical & horticultural exhibits for the purpose of scientific experiments and of public inspection, instruction, education & enjoyment." Over the period of six years, Doris Duke was personally involved in the physical design of the Indoor Display Gardens, in which various gardens were carefully designed, planned, and developed from the point of view of authenticity. The gardens were opened to the public in 1964, and included 11 unique gardens for visitors to enjoy. Doris Duke continued her involvement with her gardens throughout her life, bringing designers with her to modify them during the summer season when they were closed to tourists. The Duke Gardens Foundation was officially dissolved November 13, 2001 and the gardens closed to the public in 2008. The collection documents the lifecycle of the Duke Gardens Foundation, beginning with the inception of the Duke Gardens Foundation and the design and creation of the various indoor display gardens that comprised Duke Gardens, including the associated purchases of plants and bulbs. The materials follow the daily operations of Duke Gardens, including modifications and general upkeep of the gardens, visitor and tour information, and operations of the Foundation itself. The materials end with the general management of Duke Gardens after Doris Duke's death in 1993 and the final dissolution of the Foundation in 2001. Materials include correspondence, inventories, specifications for various architectural projects at Duke Gardens, invoices and vouchers for repairs and reconstruction to the greenhouses, surveys and reports, financial ledgers, and a multitude of both black and white and color photographs and slides of the different gardens.

The Duke Gardens Foundation records (formerly DGF.13) is part of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Historical Archives which were donated to the Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The collection is arranged into five series: Administrative Records, Financial Records, Photographs/Slides, Legal Records, and Architectural Records. It primarily spans the years 1912 to 2002, although a bulk of the materials date from 1958 to 1999. The collection documents the lifecycle of the Duke Gardens Foundation, beginning with the inception of the Duke Gardens Foundation and the design and creation of the various indoor display gardens that comprised Duke Gardens, including the associated purchases of plants and bulbs. The materials follow the daily operations of Duke Gardens, including modifications and general upkeep of the gardens, visitor and tour information, and operations of the Foundation itself. The materials end with the general management of Duke Gardens after Doris Duke's death in 1993 and the final dissolution of the Foundation in 2001. Materials include correspondence (including thank you letters from visitors), inventories, specifications for various architectural projects at Duke Gardens, invoices and vouchers for repairs and reconstruction to the greenhouses, surveys and reports, financial ledgers, and a multitude of both black and white and color photographs and slides of the different gardens. The arrangement of the collection varies with each series.