Buildings and Grounds, circa 1900-2000s
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Primarily the family properties of 1009 Fifth Avenue in New York City; Four Acres, Les Terrasses, and Pinecrest in Durham; Linden Court in Irvington, NY; and Sarmiento in Palm Beach.
- Biographical / historical:
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1009 Fifth Avenue was built around 1900 and first owned by Benjamin N. Duke. It stayed in the family after his death until it was sold in 2006, although it had been occupied by different tenants before then.
Four Acres was Benjamin N. and Sarah P. Duke's last home in Durham. It was given to Duke University upon his death, who later sold it to North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company in 1960. After demolition, they built their new headquarters upon on the land.
Les Terrasses was MDBTS' primary residence from 1946/1947 until her death. After sitting vacant, it was sold in 2021 then burned by the local fire department for training purposes in 2023.
Linden Court was bought by Mary Duke Biddle in 1921 and sold after her death. It was briefly used by Mali for diplomatic purposes before reentering private ownership and becoming a conference center.
Pinecrest was bought by Mary Duke Biddle in 1935 and stayed in the family after her death. It was eventually sold in 2021 and the land developed into a community bearing the same name (the two main original homes still stand).
Sarmiento was built in 1923 and first owned by the Biddles before their divorce and being sold by 1936.
- Arrangement:
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Arranged alphabetically.
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This collection is currently being reprocessed to incorporate additional material before it becomes fully open to researchers in January 2027. Material may sometimes be unavailable because of this, especially in the remaining series: Correspondence, Writings and Speeches, Subject Files, and Personal. This work is being funded by a Duke Endowment grant focused on Duke family papers. For more information, please contact the Rubenstein Library.
Access restricted. Access to this material will be consistent with the 1991 agreement between Duke University Library, James H. Semans, and Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans. Access to any correspondence, legal papers, and financial papers is restricted and will be permitted only with prior written permission, which should be sought from the chair of the board of the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation. This restriction shall be in place until 1 January 2027, after which all material shall be considered open for research.
Access note. Some materials in this collection are fragile audiovisual formats that may need to be reformatted before use. Contact Research Services for access.
Access note. Some materials in this collection are electronic records that require special equipment. Contact Research Services with questions.
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The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
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