An audience of nearly 7,000 people watched as the third floor of the unoccupied manor house was almost ruined and roof extensively damaged. Unfortunately, tragedy struck when a structural accident nearly destroyed the building during a performance on the lawn by the Winston-Salem Symphony during the 1980s. Meanwhile, Nathalie and her sons gifted the estate to Wake Forest University in 1946. ![]() Nathalie Gray eventually married another man named Benjamin Bernard three years later and moved into the guest cottage where she spent the rest of her life. Each son lived on the estate for the first years of marriage. When construction concluded in 1932, the aptly named “Graylyn Estate” was among the largest private homes in North Carolina with its 46,000 square feet of space. Such luxuries were at the cutting edge of technology for the 1930s. A floodlight system controlled from the main building aided in the security efforts of the watchmen. Graylyn also boasted an original telephone system consisting of fifty outlets and a radio system, which channeled high-fidelity entertainment to the major living areas of the house. The home is wired with over 160,000 linear feet of copper wiring with water and steam lines made of solid brass. The Grays' attention to the elaborate design of their home even extended to the intricate networks of pipes and wires. This included gold-plated fixtures, solid marble tubs, heated towel racks, built-in scales, and a shower with 17 showerheads. Each of the original bedrooms on the second floor had private baths that were truly unique for their time. ![]() ![]() Guests and family accommodations were just as impressive. The Manor House showcased an imported 15th-century French carved doorway, custom ironwork, hand-painted tile motifs, and rare Louis XV-era paneling imported from Paris. He also presided over a team of accomplished artisans to help make the home a masterpiece. Lashmit managed to exceed their wildest expectations, too, using a brilliant blend of Norman, Gothic, Renaissance, and Classical architectural styles to manufacture the building’s beautiful appearance. Hiring a young architect named Luther Snow Lashmit, the Grays subsequently built a magnificent estate upon the grounds that reflected their deepest desires some three years later. In 1925, Bowman and Nathalie Lyons Gray did just that, purchasing 87 acres of agricultural land from R.J. During the Roaring Twenties, it became fashionable for wealthy families to leave their grand homes in the city and head out permanently into the nearby countryside.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |