Group Still Fighting to Stop Demolition of Duke Mansion

A grass-roots community group is continuing its efforts to stop the demolition of a historic mansion in central New Jersey that heiress Doris Duke once called home.

The Hillsborough Township Historic Preservation Commission approved the demolition plans last month.

But the community group called DORIS, for Demolition of Residence is Senseless, announced Sunday that it has appealed that decision to the town's Board of Adjustment.

The Duke Farms Foundation wants to demolish the 67,000-square-foot mansion, which has been empty since the tobacco heiress' death in 1993. They said the building, erected in 1893, had fallen into disrepair and would take $10 million to $20 million to bring it up to code.

But opponents have called on the foundation to explore several possible ``re-adaptive uses'' for the mansion that they say would generate income and attention.