The gardens complex at Duke Farms consisted of two primary greenhouse components – the Orchid Range and the 1917 Conservatory – and their related horticultural lands and support structures.
The two components were designed and sited by two different architects some 15 years apart, reflecting the expansion of J.B. Duke’s vision for his estate. Architecturally, the Orchid Range and the 1917 Conservatory, demonstrated how the country house aesthetic transformed utilitarian buildings into lavish, ornamental structures. Although designed by different architects, both the Orchid Range and the 1917 Conservatory were constructed by renowned greenhouse builders Lord & Burnham.
An integral part of the country house ideal at Duke Farms, the greenhouses were the center of horticultural production serving household needs, the requirements of the park, and the marketplace.
Throughout the first half of the 20th century, the greenhouses at Duke Farms were used for commercial production of orchids and flowers for the New York market. As air freight came into its own in the 1950s, the availability of cheaper plant material from abroad undercut the need for traditional greenhouse operations at Duke Farms. In 1958, Doris Duke began planning her vision for the Indoor Display Gardens, housed in the 1917 Conservatory, which she opened to the public in 1964.
The Indoor Display Gardens closed in May 2008 in preparation for the creation of new environmentally-friendly gardens scheduled to open to the public in 2011 in the Orchid Range. As part of the larger plan to model environmental stewardship, this existing structure will be renovated to improve energy efficiency, sustainability and to provide access to the disabled.