Over 2,000 Signatures On Petition To Save Historic Somerset County Mansion

An online petition to save the historic Doris Duke mansion located on Hillsborough’s Duke Farms has compiled over 2,000 signatures since it was created on Change.org in July.

Former Somerville resident and employee for the farm, Carl Suk, 68, started the petition after he heard the mansion’s fate was in question, according to nj.com.

The Duke Farms Foundation has applied to demolish the unoccupied 65,000-square-foot mansion formerly owned by the deceased Doris Duke in order to make it more accessible to the public.

According to philly.com, the mansion, located on a 15-arce piece of land in Hillsborough, is plagued with asbestos and mold problems which Foundation executive director Michael Catania said would “cost a fortune” to bring up to code.

“This a historic 65,000 sq ft mansion of the late James B. Duke and his daughter Doris Duke, it is part of the history of Hillsborough, New Jersey, if not a monument to one of the wealthiest families in America,” according to the online petition. “It portrays an era and lifestyle of an age gone by.”

As of today, the petition has reached 2,791 of its 5,000 signature goal.

Since Duke’s death in 1993, the foundation has looked into alternative uses for the “turn-of-the-20th-century” structure, which is surrounded by gardens, fountains and waterfalls, but they ultimately decided there wasn’t a “mission-appropriate” use for it.

The demolition permit application for the mansion, located in the northern part of the 2,740-acre estate, went before The Historic Preservation Commission on July 30, according to My Central Jersey.

The application must be approved by the historic commission since the mansion lies within the boundaries of one of the township’s historic districts.

The Duke Foundation has also filed a companion application to the commission to do work on the Coach Barn, also located at Duke Farms, such as replacing the slate roof and cedar siding on the second floor, according to Central Jersey.

Photo via Google Maps