Duke Homestead and Tobacco Factory facts for kids
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Duke Homestead and Tobacco Factory
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Tobacco Barns at Duke Homestead
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Durham, North Carolina |
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| Area | 43.8 acres (17.7 ha) |
| Built | 1852 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000590 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 13, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | November 13, 1966 |
The Duke Homestead State Historic Site is a special place in Durham, North Carolina. It's a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very important historical site recognized by the United States government. This site is managed by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. It celebrates the spot where Washington Duke started his tobacco business, which grew into one of the biggest tobacco companies in the world in the early 1900s, called the American Tobacco Company.
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The Duke Family Home
The Duke Homestead was built around 1852 by Washington Duke. His farm was quite large, about 300 acres, when the American Civil War began. During the war, the property, like many others, was damaged. After the war, the family had only a small amount of tobacco left. This led them to change from just growing tobacco to also processing it. In 1881, they started making cigarettes to sell, which was a new way to compete with loose tobacco.
From Farm to Factory
The Duke family first processed their tobacco right here on their farm. Later, in 1874, they moved their business into downtown Durham. In 1890, their company officially became the American Tobacco Company. This company grew to be the largest tobacco company in the world. However, in 1911, a legal case called an antitrust suit broke it up into smaller companies. This happened because the government wanted to prevent one company from having too much control over an industry.
Becoming a Historic Site
In 1931, Duke University bought the farm. Years later, in 1966, the National Park Service named the Duke Homestead a National Historic Landmark. Then, in 1974, it became a North Carolina State Historic Site. This means it's now protected and managed by the state of North Carolina to preserve its history.
What You Can See Today
Today, the property covers more than 40 acres of the original Duke family land. You can see the original Duke Homestead house and several barn-like buildings. These buildings were used as "factories" where the Dukes dried, processed, and packed their tobacco. The very first building they used, a log barn, was destroyed by fire. A new one was built in its place in 1931, looking just like the original.
The Tobacco Museum
The Duke Homestead is now a museum that visitors can explore. You can see the restored 1852 Duke Homestead house, which has four rooms furnished with items from that time. There are also tobacco barns and various artifacts, which are old objects that tell us about the past. The visitor center has a special Tobacco Museum. It features exhibits that teach you about tobacco farming, how tobacco was processed, and the history of tobacco in general. You can also attend readings and presentations in the Visitor Center to learn even more.
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