J.B. Duke’s scheme for Duke Farms was to create a wonderland of seemingly natural vistas out of the flat farmland of Hillsborough. He transformed the land with the Raritan River, streams and brooks into a spectacular park incorporating its own watershed serving nine lakes, waterfalls and 35 fountains. The majority of the landscaping at Duke Farms took place in two phases: 1899-1905 and 1905-1911.

1899-1905

The development of Duke’s park proceeded at a rapid pace during these years. The design sources for this period remain obscure. James Greenleaf (1857-1933), a member of the firm of Frederick Law Olmstead, the esteemed designer of Central Park in New York, probably deserves the attribution. Greenleaf, who became known for his massed conifers, credited Duke with giving him his start in landscape architecture at Duke Farms.

By the early years of the 20th century, Duke’s park appeared complete in every way. A 1903 article in Town and Country noted that “the whole panorama of woodland, rolling valley and winding river now form a landscape scheme that for original design and decorative treatment may find few counterparts.”

By 1905, Duke had completed feats including the construction of a reservoir, five lakes, and a series of carriage drives winding through the property, punctuated by well houses, pergolas, early fountains and stone walls.

1905-1911

The second phase of activity at Duke Farms was marked by a radical shift in scale and approach. J.B. Duke’s tastes changed to encompass more formal landscape effects and objects, consistent with a more worldly outlook brought about by the international extension of his business and frequent European travel.

In addition, Duke divorced his first wife, Lillian McCredy, and married Nanaline Inman, a widow from Georgia, in 1907. Her social aspirations, as well as those of his brother Ben, placed Duke in eastern seaboard circles that valued formal European design as a marker of elevated taste.

The symmetrical layout of the terraces, the newer bridges with their Renaissance revival urns and balusters, and the distinctive Fountain Terrace (now gone) located south of the residence indicate a definite change in taste. Nevertheless, the appeal of the picturesque remained and use of the signature boulders that characterize Duke Farms continued.

During this time, Duke retained Horatio Buckenham, an English landscape gardener and engineer credited with the ultimate landscape design at Duke Farms. Major projects included the excavation of lakes and the construction of a new pumping house and filtration plant.