Graylyn Estate looks more like a stone castle than a hotel and guests say a stay here is an enchanting experience. Thomas Alexander Gray, grandson of Bowman and Nathalie Gray, was the preservation consultant for the restoration. Like other students who lived there, Raliski couldnt resist exploringthe large formal rooms on the first floor. After her husband died, Nathalie Gray handed over the manor house to her sons and moved into the guest cottage with her new husband. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. Many visitors claim to hear ghastly whispers and see shadowy figures roaming amid the gravestones at night. 2023 Atlas Obscura. While youre there, take a peek into the room across the hall that served as the exercise gym for the Grays. . Built in the Norman Revival style, the Manor House featured steel and concrete construction with a veneer of fieldstone from local quarries. While the lines between factual and supernatural tend to blur, anyone whos been down the road knows its an incredibly dark and eerie place. I even spent most of a week exploring inside what is now Graylyn International Conference Center when I was about eleven years old! Graylyn Estate. Graylyn exemplifies this shift from old to new by blending stone walls, arches, and medieval tapestries seamlessly with the dark woods and masculine grandeur of the more contemporary Georgian Revival style. *$25 per adult. I didnt see anything, I didnt hear anything, but I was not going up those stairs. He gives a wry laugh. float: left; First Official 4th of July Celebration Plaque. Proceed with caution. You are the daughter of Margaret Steptoe Kerse , The mansion was built in 1927, and is a large and rambling Norman Revival style mansion. The various stories led to the home being featured in the 2002 book Ghost Tales From the North Carolina Piedmont.. The Graylyn Estate has 63 employees. While some haunting stories are generations old, those of the Blum House are relatively new. Reynolda is now owned by Wake Forest, serving as an art museum and historical attraction. It was so unique, recalled Kate Murray (79). Send your story to kingkm@wfu. The home and surrounding gardens were built in 1917 for tobacco tycoon R.J. Reynolds and his wife, Katherine, along with their children. Since returning to Wake Forest in 1989, hes written stories on hundreds of alumni. Its a place of North Carolina inspired luxury! To this day, many people claim to feel a static-like charge in the air when they pass Robahs gravesometimes even a pull. Paranormal investigators have also noted that his spirit is still very active, cautioning would-be partiers against antagonizing him. Graylyn is an international conference center. You can enjoy a (possibly haunted) stay at the medieval Norman castle that was once a favorite hunting lodge of King John. Nearby you can explore the beautiful Tanglewood Park, with its action-packed activities for the family! A great property but please know what your gong to get here. The elegant Graylyn Estate Dining Room is located in the Manor House and available by reservation. I guess some people call it historic charm. It seems that the well-traveled Mr. and Mrs. Gray enjoyed furnishing their manor house with souvenirs. From the moment we stepped out of our Limo (we just got married) to the moment we stepped into our car to leave, the entire staff was awesome! The cool stone entryway emits the smell of a wine cellar as you step through the doorway. I have been there several times over the years, and it is beautiful! . In 1946 Mrs. Gray and her sons gave the estate to the Bowman Gray School of Medicine, of Wake Forest University. But look at that houseGraylyn Mansion, and oh, can you imagine being eleven and having the chance to explore it. The family would reply within weeks and confirm the strangers identity, asking that his saddlebags be forwarded to his home. While the Bahnson House downtown Winston-Salem is now home to the Spring House Restaurant, it can't shake it's haunted past. The Graylyn Estate: A nice experience..but - See 1,425 traveler reviews, 390 candid photos, and great deals for The Graylyn Estate at Tripadvisor. The teens began joking with Robah, saying things like, Mind if we sit here, Robah? and Want a swig of wine, Robah? When they were leaving, they beckoned Robah to come with them. While our castle road trip is an absolute must-do, theres one other castle that deserves its own write-up. (He died of an abrupt heart attack, after all.) Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. #gallery-4008-2 img { Our spacious room had shabby chic - country style theme.We didn't know if it was haunted or not but I thought I could not sleep comfortably if I travel solo. 1900 Reynolda Road. I saw her about 15 minutes later, Coe says, and she was as white as this sheet of paper. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. Another popular tale covered on the tours is that of Andreas Kremser, aka the Little Red Man. I am always very surprised to find certain paths to kinship, and I always wish my mother were still alive to share my discoveries. A Little History. Small room, tons of ambient noise. My aunt taught these children. border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; One thing to note is that the road where most of the activity occurs isnt actually called Payne Roadat least not anymore. Graylyn became a member of the Historic Hotels of American, a program affiliated with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which was once chaired by Gordon Gray. Associated with the house are a number of contributing outbuildings including a garage-guest house and "farm" complex. Springfest 78 on the front lawn at Graylyn. PET FRIENDLY. Located just minutes from downtown Winston-Salem, Graylyn was once the country estate of Bowman and Nathalie Gray, who built the Norman Revival-style Manor House in the late 1920s. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Jenn G. . Most accounts center around a mysterious lady in white whos seen gliding along the wooded trails and wetlands. The estate served as an academic hospital facility until 1959. This thing that makes it an outstanding hotel is the staff. [6] Graylyn has 5 separate buildings for guest accommodations, including the Manor House, the Mews, Bernard Cottage, Gardener's Cottage and the Bungalows. In 1928, Bowman and Nathalie Gray set out to build Graylyn. *Subject to tax and gratuity. You can cancel at any time. We will give you a look into the family's rich history, and even let you in on some of the mysteries that lie beneath the ground and . Grays brother James Gray, Jr. would also become president of R.J. Reynolds. And an extensive breakfast buffet is included in the room rate. 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Facebook / Graylyn Estate. It was snowing and we saw the beautiful snowy landscape. Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Gray lived in the house for only a few years before dying in 1935. (Arson was suspected, but no one was ever charged.) The Manor House features countless architectural and decorative treasures found by Bowman and Nathalie Gray on their frequent travels, including Egyptian tapestries,ornate paneling from a French chateau, and a set of intricately carved wood panels from Damascus that is believed to be the oldest in the world. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. The medical school used the house as a psychiatric hospital and, later, as a school for children with special needs. Students lived in rooms with fireplaces, oak paneling, slate floors, leaded windows, original wallpaper and marble bathrooms with hand-painted tiles and 17-head showers. Cleveland Avenue Homes is being torn down. } Two Things: A family tragedy made worse; tax dollars at work in Greensboro and Winston-Salem. Nearly immediately, staff began to note the front and back doors would occasionally open or close while at other times they were nearly impossible to open. Others said simply driving over the bridge would cause their cars to malfunction. Even in 1988, it was old, but it had remarkable character and was known to be haunted. But first, Winston-Salem officials are documenting its history. 3bd. The Graylyn Estate Singularly Graylyn and Wonderfully Yours. We report on active travel adventures so that you know what to expect. The groundbreaking was on January 15. As we host your private event, we hope to help you and your guests make memories that last for ages. $15.00. He became the famous voice of Philip Morris Tobacco, and was known as a living trademark. Inspiring boomers one adventure at a time. He was buried at sea. Boomer travelers rely on our weekly email newsletter for fresh travel inspiration, tips, and advice. In 1946, the Gray family donated the estate to the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. Basically we had wonderful time at Graylyn.Note: actual date of travel was: Mar 2010. While very little paranormal activity is reported inside the home, the same cant be said for the surrounding grounds. He received Wake Forests Employee of the Year Award in 2004 when he worked in the Public Affairs office. They were generally children with family problems who were average or above average in intelligence, but who werent succeeding in school, werent learning because their behavior was so poor, they were often suspended, sitting in the Principals office, or in time-out. } She received the Marcellus E. Waddill Excellence in Teaching Award for Wake Forest alumni in 2011. I was free as a bird to wander the halls and look in the nooks and crannies. The resulting fire destroyed $10,000 (roughly equal to $250,000 today). It is considered to be one of the finest conference centers in the U.S. #gallery-4008-2 .gallery-item { Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Legend also has it that if you stopped on the bridge and whistled Dixie that your car wouldnt start back up. Rooms are small and not modern but have a great feel to them and fit the grounds perfectly. Graylyn was built by Bowman Gray Sr., chairman of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Filled with romance and mystery, the boutique hotel looks like a castle from a fairytale with its stone-cladding exterior, slanted rooftops, and turret-style feature walls. These accounts came to a head one night when the tavern keeper was confronted by a shadowy figure. Kremser was a man of slight stature who hadnt been suited to a number of occupations assigned him, but, in 1786, he seemed to have found his niche as the communitys shoemaker. 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