What is now the Durham School of the Arts occupies the former estate of Brodie L. Duke. The city acquired the property after Duke's death in 1919 and transformed it into a new campus for Central High School, later Durham High, and Julian S. Carr Junior High School, which opened in 1923 and 1922 respectively. The high school's gymnasium, auditorium and music wing were added in the 1930s. After the city and county school systems merged in 1992, the campus was converted from a junior high and high school to a magnet school for grades 6 through 12 emphasizing the arts.