4th Wedding Anniversary At The Duke Mansion

Good morning my dears.

On Monday, July 31st we celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary. We started our journey together almost seven years ago, ten days after I graduated college, at a Labor Day picnic.

We started the tradition a year or so ago, to have an overnight stay at The Duke Mansion for our wedding anniversary.

We received the keys for room 215 (a porch suite) and hoped to see a soaker tub. We had one in our suite last year, so it was something I was looking forward to. Sadly, we only had a shower. So I'll be sure to remember next year, as there's nothing better than a bubble bath and bath robe before getting ready for a dinner date.

The next morning my hubby took the camera outside and snapped a few pictures of the early morning sunrise.

Afterwards, we had breakfast served buffet style in the solarium. The tables were adorned with peach damask tablecloths, crisp white napkins, polished silverware, glassware, and dainty china teacups.

The solarium is one of my favorite rooms. I  the haint blue ceiling.

My hubby got me a fragrant floral arrangement and one of my traditions is to dry out a rose each year.

One of my all-time favorite gifts can't be bought, but it can be captured.

The more I delve into family history, the more I realize the importance in taking photos to record memories to look back at one day.

So here's what we look like at thirty-five (hubby) and thirty-one (me). Ha ha!

The rose gardens were in full bloom. Perfect for a morning stroll.

My forever date.

And me, being kooky showing off my new specs.

That morning, before we checked out, we spent some time porch sitting and talking. And the weather? It was just perfect, with a nice breeze.

Cheers to four, and many more!

~Kiki Nakita ~

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Previous anniversaries:

1st

    2nd

3rd

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A Tour of The Duke Mansion

Yesterday evening, before the sun went down we went on a drive to the Myers Park part of Charlotte. Nestled behind -gargantuan- trees on Hamilton Place, is the magnificent Duke Mansion.

 

 

The Duke mansion was built in 1915 by Zebulon V. Taylor, President of Southern Public Utilities (now Duke Power Company). Below, is the original entrance facing Ardsley Road, currently the east wing.

 

 

 

To the south of the mansion is a gravel courtyard, with a seating arrangement on either side, that's where we started meandering around the grounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you climb up the steps you can see the south side of the mansion and it's grounds. In 1919 James B. Duke, founder of The American Tobacco Company and Duke Power Company bought the home. He tripled it's size to 32,000 square feet. Luckily, they had housekeepers!

 

 

 

 

In 1925 James B. Duke passed away leaving the legacy of Duke University, the Duke Power Company and The Duke Endowment. The home was purchased by C.C Coddington the owner of the local Buick dealership and radio station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly, three years later in 1929 he passed away. The next owner was Martin Cannon who re-named the home White Oaks. He was founder of Cannon Mills and after twenty years of living in the home with his wife Cherry he passed away bequeathing the home to Meyers Park Presbyterian Church.

 

 

 

Nine short years later, in 1957 the church sold the home to Henry and Clayton Lineberger, a textile family. During their time in the home they restored the home and grounds, and unfortunately had a horrific fire in 1966, which almost destroyed the home. How tragic would that have been?

 

This is the north entrance today, overlooking the fountain.

 

 

 

 

The west entrance is undergoing re-landscaping, which will hopefully be finished next year for the 100 year anniversary.

 

 

 

Ten years after the fire, after nineteen years in the home Henry Lineberger passed away and gifted the home to the The Duke Endowment. At first it was a conference center, and a year later it was placed on the national register of historic places. The same year developer  William Allan converted the home into condominiums.

 

 

 

 

 

In 1988, there was a possible deal to build single family homes on the property, but the developers efforts failed.  A year later owners of Raycom Sports, Rick and Dee Ray considered buying a condominium, but instead bought out the property to preserve and restore the mansion. In 1996 they sold the home to The Lee Institute, a non-profit leading an effort to permanently protect the home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lee Institute brought the story full circle because Bill Lee's granddaddy was an engineer who had worked with James B. Duke. In 1998 the mansion opened as a Historic Inn and is still in operation. Nowadays you can celebrate your wedding, have a baby shower, or stay in one of the Inn's suites or you could take an early evening to self tour the home, and be in awe of it's history and splendor!

 

 

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