Situated at the edge of a meadow is a beautiful white stucco bungalow with green shutters and a sloped roof bearing the surname of its original owner, R.J. Reynolds.
Mr. Reynolds, a self-made tobacco baron, was one of the great American industrialists of the early 21st century, and his impact on the economic development of Winston-Salem is evident throughout town. But when it came to developing this special place, this rolling property dotted with historic cottages and natural beauty, it was his young, spirited wife Katharine who took the lead.
Reynolda House was her home, her farm, her vision. She could have easily chosen a life of privilege and ease, but she instead chose a life of purpose.
She built the bungalow in 1917 for healthy living with lovely open-air porches, the use of white tiles and Monel countertops in the kitchen for hygiene, and emphasized food quality and safety for her family. The farm at Reynolda was a particular passion; she oversaw operations and tested best practices for crop rotation, soil analysis, and animal husbandry.
She had a sincere interest in social reform, pressing her husband for better working conditions in his factories. She also championed the construction of a church, school and housing for farm workers. She made an impact on her community and that legacy lives on.
Reynolda was home to two generations of the Reynolds family. In 1967 the home was opened to the public after being reimagined as Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
Today it is home to one of the country’s finest collections of American art ranging from the colonial period to the present. Inside the main house you’ll find restored interior rooms and furnishings that reflect the periods when the family lived there. The adjoining 30,000+ square foot Mary and Charles Babcock Wing houses education facilities and an auditorium, and hosts impressive traveling exhibitions each spring and fall.
Continuing on Katharine’s legacy of community building, Reynolda House Museum of American Art hosts regular social hours, educational programming, camps and outdoor events where you can meet others and mingle and experience something new no matter the season. Just as she intended.
Discover more natural beauty, rich history, and find inspiration at ReynoldaHouse.org
THIS WEEK!
Join us to celebrate the return of Autumn
and the magic of Reynolda
at the
HARVEST MOON FESTIVAL
Thursday, September 15th
6p – 9p
Autumn’s answer to the Museum’s popular Summertime Social, the annual Harvest Moon Festival is a great place to catch a rising star, or two. This year, singer-songwriter Cashavelly Morrison will perform covers and songs from her debut album The Kingdom Belongs to a Child. The magazine No Depression called it “a remarkable pearl,” one of the most “thoughtful, delicate, and elegant albums” they’ve heard.
As the band fiddles and harmonizes, you can play games on the lawn, assemble your own fifteen-bean soup mix, and savor the delicious produce of the season from local farms, breweries, cider works, and food trucks.
VENDORS
Crafted Food Truck // Hoots Beer Company // Nomad Farms, LLC // Fair Share Farm // The Farm at the Children’s Home // Harmony Ridge Farm // Horne Creek Living Historical Farm // Old Salem Seed Saving // Niki’s Pickles // Forsyth Community Food Consortium // Raylen Vineyards // La Vie En Rose // Hickory Tree Turkey BBQ // Inglewood Farms // Small Batch Beer Co. // Buchi // Village Juice Co. // American Farmland Trust // Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
Townies 