Graylyn

Graylyn
Graylyn is located in North Carolina
Graylyn
Location within North Carolina
Graylyn is located in the United States
Graylyn
Location within the United States
LocationReynolda Rd., Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Coordinates36°07′07″N 80°17′00″W / 36.1185°N 80.2833°W / 36.1185; -80.2833
Area87 acres (35 ha)
Built1927–32
ArchitectLashmit, Luther, et al.
Architectural styleNorman Revival
NRHP reference No.78001949
Added to NRHPAugust 3, 1978

Graylyn Estate, or Graylin, is a historic estate located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The construction of the Norman-style mansion began in 1928. Associated with the house are a number of contributing outbuildings including a garage-guest house and "farm" complex. Today, Graylyn estate is used as a conference center and hotel. It is currently a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

In 2026, in the build-up to the FIFA World Cup, the Germany national football team stayed at Gralyn, while also using the facilities of Wake Forest University for their training needs.

History

Construction

Graylyn Estate circa 1932

In 1925, the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company chairman Bowman Gray Sr. and his wife Nathalie Lyons Gray and purchased an 87-acre parcel from R. J. Reynolds with the plan of building “the home of their dreams.” The land had formerly been corn fields and pasture for Reynolds' Reynolda estate, which is now referred to as the Reynolda Historic District.

The groundbreaking for the mansion took place on January 15, 1928, and as many as 136 artisans and craftsmen from all over the United States worked on the construction of the estate at one time. The Norman-style mansion contained approximately 60 rooms. At the time, it was second to George Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, as the largest private home in the state.

The ironwork throughout the property was designed by Joseph Barton Benson, an ironsmith from Philadelphia. Nathalie Gray personally decorated the rooms of Graylyn, and the grounds and gardens were designed by Thomas Warren Sears. The amenities of the house were considered very lavish at the time, and its original telephone and floodlight systems "were at the cutting end of technology for the 1930s."

Later uses

Nathalie Gray and her sons gifted the estate to the Bowman Gray School of Medicine in 1946. The estate was used as a psychiatric hospital from 1947 to 1959. Gordon Gray, the son of Nathalie and Bowman Gray, bought the estate back in 1972 and donated it to Wake Forest University. In the following years, the estate was used for multiple purposes including university programs and community service. From 1977 to 1980, Graylyn was used as a dormitory and housed approximately 40 students a year.

Fire and reconstruction

On June 20, 1980, a fire started in the house during a performance on the lawn by the Winston-Salem Symphony. Nearly 7,000 people watched as the fire extensively damaged the interior of the house. The following day, James R. Scales, the president of Wake Forest University at the time, announced that Graylyn would be rebuilt and restored to its 1932 appearance. The restoration of the mansion and Bernard Cottage was completed in 1984 at a cost of $6,000,000.

Pictured in 2019

Current usage

Graylyn is currently used as a conference center and contains 85 guest rooms and fifteen meeting rooms. Graylyn has five separate buildings for guest accommodations: the Manor House, the Mews, Bernard Cottage, Gardener's Cottage and the Bungalows.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ↑ H. McKelden Smith (n.d.). "Graylyn" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Overview". Graylyn. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Hotel History - The Graylyn Estate". Historic Hotels of America. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  5. ↑ "German Men's National Team selects Wake Forest, Graylyn for FIFA World Cup 2026™ | Wake Forest News | Wake Forest University". Wake Forest News. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Graylyn Estate". Historic Hotels of America. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Story of Graylyn". Graylyn. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  8. 1 2 3 "Local Historic Landmark Program" (PDF). Forsyth County Historic Resources Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 17, 2019.
  9. ↑ Benefield, Kevin (April 12, 2017). "Embark on a history-filled weekend retreat in Winston-Salem, North Carolina". Atlanta Magazine. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  10. ↑ Gross, Ginelle. "Savoring the Past at Graylyn". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  11. ↑ King, Kerry M. (June 1, 2015). "Remember When: Graylyn Dormitory". Wake Forest Magazine. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Overview". Graylyn. Retrieved April 23, 2019.

Official website