If historic home tours are part of your pre-Halloween lead-up, look no further than Preservation Durham’s annual historic home tour, which this year centers on the storybook cottages and English country-style homes of Tudor Revival architecture. 

“These Tudor Revival homes remind many of us of Disney-like books and movies about princesses lost in forests, cottage homes, large castles, fanciful scenes and magical themes,” Preservation Durham director April Johnson said in a press release. “Tudor style homes are a part of Durham’s story as well as the rest of the nation. As you look at different iterations of these homes, it’s fascinating to imagine new neighborhoods taking shape.” 

The tour, which takes place October 16 and 17 from 12-4 p.m., features tours of six Tudor Revival homes in Durham. 

Among those homes: the famous Pinecrest mansion, which was built in 1927 and is the primary home on the Mary Duke Biddle Estate. It is the public’s last look at the Duke heiress’s Forest Hills home before the 15-acre estate is turned into denser housing, with units that range from $700,000-$950,000. 

The home was originally purchased in 1934 by the Duke family; Mary Duke Biddle was the daughter of Benjamin Newton Duke; the founder of Duke Energy and vice-president of the American Tobacco Company, and the cousin of Doris Duke, whose name recently resurfaced in a reopened investigation into the death of one of her employees.

When Mary Duke Biddle died, her daughter, Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, inherited the property and lived there until 2012. Upon her death, the family decided to sell the property to a developer who would maintain the property’s integrity. 

The Pinecrest home is on the National Register of Historic Places; once redeveloped, it will be turned into a two-dwelling house. In 2018, when the development—which, unlike many other new developments, did not donate money to the city’s affordable housing fund or the Durham Public Schools system—was initially proposed, Forest Hills residents pushed back. 

Assurances from developer Philip Clark regarding maintained neighborhood character, however, placated residents, and the development was approved. Johnson, the Preservation Durham director, also voiced support of the project. 38 units are planned on the property.

“I’m not afraid of change that will come. I’m confident [this development] will be a positive change not only for our neighborhood, but for the entire city,” Larry Pollard, a neighbor of the estate, told the News & Observer in its 2018 report. 

With redevelopment moving ahead, Preservation Durham’s tour offers one last look at a sprawling piece of Duke, and Durham, history. The tour will be led by preservation consultant and designer Sara Lachenman, owner and principal designer at Four Over One Design.

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Sarah Edwards is culture editor of the INDY, covering cultural institutions and the arts in the Triangle. She joined the staff in 2019 and assumed her current role in 2020.