Pictures - Duke Gardens and Campus (Durham, Mebane: purchase, construction, universities)

[hi2nc]

We got a chance to drive around ourselves on our off day. It was a challenge trying to find our way in the heavy rains, but at least we didn't get lost. We managed to make it to the Duke Gardens, which was absolutely amazing! How do they keep that place looking that beautiful?
















We managed to stroll through the gardens for almost an hour before the rains started to really come down. At least we got to hang out, and stayed dry, in the Visitor Center.




We then did a quick drive through the Duke Campus, near the chapel.

[MrsSteel]

HI2NC, thank you so much for posting these! I'm thrilled that you got to visit the gardens on your visit. There are lots of hidden, winding trails through there, so you'll still have plenty to explore once you move here.

[jgmarie]

Yes, thanks for posting....so many good things are written about the gardens on here, I'm looking forward to going myself.

[scorp200]

Wow, so pretty...can't wait to go! Thanks for the pics.

[Lizardlips]

Thanks for the pictures. That stone bridge is so beauiful with all the colored stones, I am sure the rain brought out all the rich colors for you.
Thanks again!!!

[cary_nc]

Originally Posted by Lizardlips

Thanks for the pictures. That stone bridge is so beauiful with all the colored stones, I am sure the rain brought out all the rich colors for you.
Thanks again!!!

Duke University actually purchased an entire quarry (near Hillsborough) in order to have their own "signature" stone.

Here is a link to the Duke Archives which talks about this stone in greater detail.

The following is an excerpt from a Duke Magazine article about the development and construction of the campus

"...Few and Brown also paid a great deal of attention to the stone with which the buildings were constructed at each institution. At Princeton they observed that "All new dormitories are constructed of Princeton stone trimmed with Indiana limestone. The University owns the quarry and sells the stone." The fact that Princeton owned its own quarry made an impression on Few and Brown and later figured into the choice of stone for the Duke campus.

Indeed, Frank Brown's role in the selection of the stone for the campus buildings was his most visible and enduring contribution to the construction project. The Few and Brown scrapbook contains notes on the quarries from which individual universities procured their stone, including Brown's cost projections for using Princeton stone at Duke. Because J. B Duke initially thought that the stone for the Durham campus would come from an established quarry that had provided stone to other institutions of higher learning, samples of stone from a number of quarries were sent to Durham, and test walls were built so that appearance of the stone could be judged.

In the meantime, Brown met with the North Carolina state geologist and asked if suitable stone were available closer to the site of the university. In reply the geologist referred him to an abandoned quarry in Hillsborough. After viewing several buildings built with the stone, Brown reported that he preferred the local stone's softer coloration. He added that the supply of stone at the quarry appeared nearly unlimited. J. B. Duke ordered the purchase of the quarry and tests of the stone's durability. The state geologist confirmed that the stone was satisfactory, and sample walls were erected next to the other test walls. When J. B. Duke took the building committee of The Duke Endowment to view the anonymous stone samples, the majority of them preferred the Hillsborough stone. Using stone from a quarry located ten miles from Duke resulted in a considerable savings in construction costs for the university...."

Can you tell I'm a Duke grad???

[alice_61]

Thanks for the linnk to the articles on Duke Stone. That is very interesting that it was quarried right in Hillsborough. I inquired at Scott Stone, a stone yard in Mebane, about the stone used for the walls at UNC and was told they were "Chatham Fieldstone." He said Chatham Fieldstone was getting hard to come by so UNC and they had come up with a blend of other stones to replicate it.

Thanks,
Alice

[mcmartian]

amazing photos. is that garden available to the public to walk through? is it just part of the campus?

[MrsSteel]

It's free and open to the public, although you may have to pay to park in the lot.

[Indigoblue]

Wow wow wow! I can't wait to go walk around Duke Gardens Thanks for posting