In 1964, Duke purchased forty-three acres of land that previously belonged to Erwin Mills. Between 1970 and 1972, the residents of the 160 houses on the land were displaced and the houses were replaced with small apartment buildings. As the campus aged, several ideas about how to renovate Central Campus were considered but not adopted. In 2019, the university closed the apartments as residences and tore down many of the structures. The future use of most of Central Campus is unclear.
Construction of Central Campus Apartments 1973, University Archives Photograph Collection, box 85, Central Campus, Duke University Archives, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.
JANUARY 8, 2024 – DECEMBER 15, 2024 Duke University Libraries