Reynolda House Museum of American Art facts for kids
View from front lawn
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| Established | 1967 |
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| Location | 2250 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27106 |
The Reynolda House Museum of American Art is a special place in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It shows off an amazing collection of American art. This art covers a long time, from the early days of the country right up to today.
The house itself was built in 1917. It was the home of Katharine Smith Reynolds and her husband, R. J. Reynolds. He was the person who started the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Their home was once the center of a huge estate, covering about 1,067 acres (4.3 square kilometers).
Reynolda House first opened its doors to the public in 1965. It was a place for art and learning. By 1967, it officially became an art museum. Today, it holds one of the best collections of American paintings in the whole country.
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History of Reynolda House
The building of Reynolda House started in 1912. It took about five years to finish, ending in late 1917. The architect, Charles Barton Keen, was very talented. He had designed many homes in other states.
Charles Barton Keen designed not just the main house. He also planned the entire village on the estate. This village included a church, stables, and even a school. Katharine Reynolds was very involved in planning her dream home. She worked closely with Keen on many details.
The Reynolds family finally moved into their new home in December 1917. Sadly, R. J. Reynolds was not well and passed away soon after, in July 1918.
Reynolda was home to two generations of the Reynolds family. In 1935, Mary Reynolds Babcock, the Reynolds' older daughter, took over the estate. She and her husband, Charles Babcock, used the house as a vacation spot. In 1948, they moved there permanently. The property stayed in the family for almost 50 years.
Today, the museum has restored the rooms and furniture. They look just like they did when the family lived there. The unique green terra cotta tile roof of Reynolda House was very famous. It inspired many other buildings in Winston-Salem. In 2002, Reynolda House became connected with Wake Forest University.
Exploring Reynolda's Features
Reynolda House is located on Reynolda Road. You can explore a large part of the estate by walking around. Besides the main house, 28 of the original 30 buildings are still standing.
To the west of the house, you'll find the beautiful formal gardens. These gardens have been restored and feature interesting trees like Japanese cryptomeria and weeping cherry trees. Behind the house, there was once a 16-acre (6.5-hectare) lake called "Lake Katharine." It has now changed into wetlands. These wetlands are a home for many different kinds of wildlife.
Many of the buildings in the village are now home to fun shops, boutiques, and restaurants. You can take a short walk across a dam from the village to Wake Forest University. The land for the university was actually given by Mary and Charles Babcock from the Reynolda House grounds.
Amazing Art Collection
The Reynolda House Museum of American Art has a special collection of American art. This includes paintings and sculptures from the past three centuries. You can see works by famous artists like Mary Cassatt, Frederic Church, Jacob Lawrence, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Gilbert Stuart. Most of these artworks are displayed right inside the historic house, making it feel like you're stepping back in time.
Cool Art Highlights
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Gilbert Stuart, Mrs. Harrison Gray Otis, 1809
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Edward Hicks, Peaceable Kingdom of the Branch, c. 1826-30
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Thomas Cole, Home in the Woods, 1847
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Frederic Church, The Andes of Ecuador, 1855
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Emanuel Leutze, Worthington Whittredge in His Tenth Street Studio, 1865
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Alfred Henry Maurer, Landscape of Provence, c. 1912-1922
Special Exhibitions
In 2005, Reynolda House opened a new part called the Mary and Charlie Babcock Wing. This area has a special gallery space for traveling exhibitions. These are art shows that come to Reynolda House from other museums. Usually, there are two big traveling shows each year, one in the fall and one in the spring. There are also other smaller exhibitions throughout the year in different rooms of the house.
Examples of Past Exhibitions
- Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey, October 2012 - January 2013
- Modern Masters from the Smithsonian Art Museum, October 2011 - December 2011
- Trains that Passed in the Night: The Photographs of O. Winston Link, February 2011 - June 2011
- The American Expatriates: Cassatt, Sargent, and Whistler, December 2009 - April 2010
- Chuck Close: The Keith Series, January 2009 - May 2009
- J. M. W. Turner and Frederic Church: An Atlantic Conversation, November 2005 - February 2006
- Diane Arbus: Family Albums, September 2005 - December 2005
See also
- Reynolda Historic District, a historic area listed on the National Register of Historic Places
