You’re probably familiar with the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, located on Duke University’s West Campus. What you may not know is that its namesake, the Washington Duke Hotel, opened in 1924 thanks to the fundraising of a number of prominent citizens, led by businessman John A. Buchanan. It stood in the center of downtown for 50 years before shutting down in 1975. The Major the Bull statue now stands in its place on CCB Plaza.
Ninety years later, an item from the original hotel has been shared with the public for the first time. A time capsule, which was placed in the cornerstone, was rescued from the hotel’s demolition and later brought to the Washington Duke Inn. They donated the time capsule and its contents to the Duke University Archives in 2015, and the items – including Riz Tam Tam, a natural complement of loose tobacco bags; Duke’s Mixture, an early loose tobacco brand of W. Duke & Sons; and hosiery produced by the Durham Hosiery Mill – can be viewed in an exhibit outside the rare book room in Rubenstein Library, located at 411 Chapel Dr.
“It’s unusual to find a time capsule in such good condition,” says Duke University archivist Valerie Gillispie. “… The contents reflect major figures and industries in Durham during the groundbreaking of what was then the first and only hotel in Durham.” Visit the exhibit, on display until July 17, and discover what Durham life was like in the 1920s.
