Washington Duke Statue, Duke University
Posted by: 
showbizkid
N 36° 00.306 W 078° 54.884
17S E 687940 N 3986525
Duke University is officially named in honor of Washington Duke, the patriarch of the Duke family. His statue sits on East Campus.
Waymark Code: WM5GY
Location: North Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 01/01/2006
Views: 45
Duke University began its existence in 1838 in rural Randolph County, North Carolina. The school went through several name changes until it became Trinity College in 1859. The City of Durham was able to lure Trinity College to Durham in 1892.
Washington Duke, who was a simple Durham area farmer in the 1860's, had made a fortune in tobacco, land speculation and mills. In 1896 he gave Trinity College a $100,000 endowment. This was the first of many Duke Family contributions to Trinity College which was renamed in Washington Duke's honor in 1924 to Duke University.
The statue of Washington Duke that sits on East Campus was first installed in 1908 in front of the Washington Duke Building. The Washington Duke Building burned down in 1911.
The West and East Duke Buildings were built to replace the Washington Duke Building and the statue was then placed on a raised bed in front of and between the West and East Duke Buildings.
In 1921, the statue was moved to its present location - still between the West and east Duke Buildings, but now behind them.
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Washington Duke Statue, circa 1935
Washington Duke Statue in 2006
