Körner’s Folly

Körner's Folly is pleased to present the vendor lineup for our Fall Vintage Market on Saturday, September 21! 🍂

Join us on the grounds of the historic home and the John & Bobbie Wolfe Visitors Center from 9 am - 2 pm to explore the unique handmade, vintage, and tasty treasures for sale by the local businesses that keep our community vibrant and fun!

Market is free to attend, and pairs well with a self-guided tour of Körner's Folly (10 am - 4 pm with the last tickets sold at 3 pm). Parking is available at the Visitors Center (401 S. Main Street) and Kernersville Moravian Church (504 S. Main Street) in Kernersville. Please no smoking and no pets - service animals are always welcome.

🪡 & Friends
😸 Badkatbeadworks
📿 bead ideas
📿 Bee Jeweled Permanent Jewelry
🪵 Busy Wren Creations
🍎 Carolina Kitchen and Pantry
🏺 Flowerchick Pottery
🪚 Gal-vanized
🪶 Garnet Goldman Designs
🪟 Glass by Meri
🎨 Holly Evans
📿 J Vintiques
🎨 Jessica Robin Harkey Illustration
💎 JP's Twisted Crystals
🪺 Katelyn’s Wreath Boutique
🏺 Kathy Duckett Pottery
🕰 Lady K Boutique
💡 Laura's Unique Lamps
👗 Little Funky Oskar's Art Studio
🥄 MadeByMelz
🌻 Meadow Pond Creations
🌈 Misfits Windchimes
🫎 Moose Antiques
🌟 Moravian Mercantile
📸 Oneofone Art Shop
🌸 Perennial Peaces
🖼 Poured Paintings & Creations by Colleen
🐐 Romesburg Family Farm
🧼 SOAPS by Kelly
🧵 Sour B*tch Crafts
🔮 Space Peach Studio
🪚 Ta’s Woodshop
🧼 Tanglebrook Soapery
🖼 The Art of Jack Hutchins
🚌 The Lane Exchange
🕯 The Lavender Bird LLC
🏺 Throne Pottery
📿 wendyleighbarnett
🪵 Westminster Wood Works
🌿 Wild + Woven
🪚 Woodnglueworkshop

🍟 Cousin Eddie's Sauce & Plan C
🍞 Homelander Harvest LLC
🍰 Kake Me Away, LLC
🍪 Mama B’s Bakery
🍫 Rhyme and Reason Chocolate Co.
🍦 Vice Cream

Our Homeschool Day: Art & Architecture is coming up soon on Monday, September 23 from 10 am - 2 pm! 🎨 🏰🏸

While the Folly is closed to the public, participants will explore the 22-room historic house museum, complete an art and architecture scavenger hunt, play yard games, and enjoy hands-on activities focused on the architectural elements, paintings, sculptures, and furnishings in the Körner’s Folly collection.

While this program is best suited for students ages 6 – 14, some activities can be adapted for younger students. Register today at the link below!
https://kornersfolly.org/events/homeschool-day-art-and-architecture-334/

Happy Birthday to Allie Doré Körner Donnell! 🥳

Born in 1889, Doré grew up at Körner's Folly with her brother Gilmer, parents Jule and Polly Alice, a gaggle of cats, and her beloved pet racoon, Bob! 🦝

Remembered by her family as a theatrical, vivacious, and outgoing socialite, Doré was no stranger to adventure after her solo grand tour of Europe and the Middle East from 1911-1913. Upon her return, she regularly gave speeches and entertained local clubs with tales of her travels. 🧭

She married Drewry Lanier Donnell of Oak Ridge, NC in 1916 in a lavish ceremony at Körner's Folly, and moved to another fascinating house known as Rock Home. She and 'Lan' had two children: a son Drewry Lanier Donnell Jr. in 1919, and a daughter Polly Doré Körner Donnell in 1923. Her room at Körner's Folly is still known today as "the Rose Room" after her father Jule had it painted a unique pink for her 16th birthday. 🌹

Images: Doré and Kitki around 1908, Doré in Paris in 1912, Doré and Jule around the time of her wedding in 1916

Early Bird tickets for this year's Kernersville Oktoberfest are available for just ONE more day! ⏰🌭🍻🧁
Get your tickets now at a discount and enjoy seasonal and German-inspired food and beverages for a great cause: the restoration and operation of historic Körner's Folly! On September 6, the ticket price will increase from $35 to $40 (21+ Only).

Don't miss out on this fun event with plenty of ales, lagers, wines, fresh-grilled bratwursts, desserts, snacks, and SO much more!

Follow the link below to purchase:

14th Annual Kernersville Oktoberfest - Kernersville NC Historic Home - Jule Korner Upcoming Events Sep 21 2024 Fall Vintage Market 2024 Sep 23 2024 Homeschool Day: Art and Architecture Oct 05 2024 14th Annual Kernersville Oktoberfest No event found! Load More Date Oct 05 2024 Time 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm 14th Annual Kernersville Oktoberfest 14th Annual Kernersville Oktoberfest Saturday,...

Happy World Beard Day! 🧔
Although Jule Körner was typically seen only with his well-manicured moustache, beards were extremely fashionable in the Victorian era on both sides of the Atlantic. Their popularity increased during the 1800s as soldiers returned home from the Crimean War and American Civil War after foregoing a razor and soap, or a barber, for many years. 🧼

By 1904 the fashion had changed considerably with American businessman King Camp Gillette's popularization of the safety razor, a disposable version that was much thinner, more flexible, and launched a multi-million-dollar industry that still exists today! 🪒

For this , we're sharing a project that took place in 2014, representing a big change for the historic structure that took Körner's Folly back in time closer to its original appearance. 🕰

In 1878, when work began on Körner's Folly, Jule selected chestnut shakes for the steep Gothic pitch of the roof of the building, as well as the flat roof areas. According to family legend, he was so particular about the color of the shakes that he insisted they all come from the same tree! 🌳

By 1954, the original roof was leaking badly, causing water damage to the 2nd and 3rd floors. Caretakers of Körner's Folly at the time replaced the chestnut shakes with a standing seam tin roof in a memorable red hue. 🏠

However, the tin roof also deteriorated over time, and by 2014, it was in need of repair again. In partnership with the Forsyth County Historic Resources Commission and the State Historic Preservation Office, the Körner's Folly Foundation under the guidance of Executive Director Dale Pennington approached this project thoughtfully, ensuring that historic landmark guidelines were met and that the roof was returned to a look and texture as close to its original design and material as possible. 🔨

Working with the fine craftsmen at Wilson Covington Construction and Triad Roofing, the red tin roof was removed, damaged wood fascia and soffit boards were repaired and painted to match the originals, and the chimneys connected to the 15 (!) fireplaces inside Körner's Folly were capped, stabilized and repaired, and repointed to match the existing mortar. 🧱

The roof was replaced with a new, eco-friendly, and historically appropriate replica, with the added protection of insulation and v***r barriers, new flashing, downspouts, and gutters. This preservation effort also made the structure watertight, allowing the organization to move into the interior phase of restoration. 💦

Tremendous thanks are in order to those who raised the funds needed for this roof replacement, paving the way for increased safety and stability for this one-of-a-kind, landmark home! 🙌

The Kernersville Oktoberfest is coming up! Do you have your tickets yet?
🪗🍺🌭🧁🍷
Early Bird tickets are available now through September 5th - get yours at a discount today and enjoy delicious local food and beverages inspired by autumn and the Körner family's German heritage on October 5th!

Click below for more info:
https://kornersfolly.org/events/kernersville-oktoberfest-2024/

📸 Thanks to Jon Greene for this great shot from last year's festivities!

These chilly mornings are for dreaming of fall and a spot of tea in the Breakfast Room! 🌬🫖

The Körner family would most likely have enjoyed a light afternoon meal in this room each day that they were home. The tradition of the afternoon tea was imported from England, typically featuring hot tea and wafers, scones, or small sandwiches. 🥪

The 'invention' of afternoon tea is credited to Anna Maria Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, a lifelong friend and attendant of Queen Victoria, who invited guests to join her for a small meal to combat "having that sinking feeling" in late afternoon. 🥱

Thanks to Becca's Pics for the lovely photo!

We are lucky to have such a rich history of furniture-making and appreciation in North Carolina! From Hickory to High Point, large and small operations have made a big impact worldwide. 🪑

Thank you to Home News Now Editor-at-Large Ray Allegrezza for visiting and lending your expert opinion on the amazing array of furnishings designed by Jule Körner himself on view inside Körner’s Folly!

🔗 Check out the article below for more on Körner's Folly's "treasure trove of furniture"!

Inside Kernersville's Körner's Folly and its treasure trove of furniture - Home News Now If one were to be asked to name cities in North Carolina best known for having longstanding ties to furniture, High Point and Hickory are …

We thoroughly enjoyed our time with you all at our Herbarium Workshop on Saturday! 🌿🌸📜

Horticulture expert Adrienne took us on a fascinating exploration of the history of herbariums and the study of botany in the Victorian era, we had an up-close view of Doré Körner's herbarium she began while at Guilford College, enjoyed light refreshments, and left with a great start for our own specimen collections!

A special thank you to all who attended, Körner's Folly staff, our generous funders, and to Adrienne Roethling for the relaxing, informative, and fun program! 💚

Victorian Parlor Series: Herbarium Workshop is a sponsored project of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County and funded through ARPA supported by the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners.

📸 Images: a beautiful composition with fern, anemone, and Joe Pye w**d; the process of gluing and pressing; Brittany Ashby, Körner's Folly Community Engagement Manager showing off her finished examples; Adrienne's presentation; artifacts from the Körner's Folly collection; herbariums in progress.

Körner's Folly staff is in planning mode for 2025! Help us decide on our programs for next year providing feedback on our past programs. 💭📥

We've been thrilled to host guests for concerts in Cupid's Park Theatre, hands-on history, drama, and art, tastings of coffee, Aunt Dealy's Lemonade, cocktails, and much more!
🎨🍋🏸🍸🌿🎻🕯🍷🍫

Let us know your favorites - it takes just 3 minutes! 😁

Survey Link: https://form.jotform.com/242295822717159

On Tuesday, The Kernersville Foundation presented a BIG check to Körner’s Folly!

We are so thankful for this contribution, which will help keep the landmark historic home open year-round for tours, allow us to continue restoration efforts, and expand museum experiences and learning opportunities for Kernersville’s citizens. 💛

Did you know that The Kernersville Foundation supports 14 Kernersville not-for-profit organizations? The foundation generates its support through contributions from donors, investment income, and a state grant. The Kernersville Foundation welcomes community contributions so it can assist local non-profits. Information about the Kernersville Foundation is available at www.kernersvillefoundation.org. or by email at [email protected].

Pictured in Photo: Bruce Boyer (Kernersville Foundation Executive Director), Mike Shaw (former Folly board President), Betty Korner-Atkins (Folly board member), Pat Shaw (Folly board member), Britt Williams (Folly Operations Coordinator), Brittany Ashby (Community Engagement Manager), Suzanna Malliett (Folly Executive Director), Monte Long (Folly board member), J.G. Wolfe (Folly Board member and Kernersville Foundation board member), Edwin Walker (Folly board member)

This beautifully sharp photo shows Jule and Polly Alice's son Gilmer posing on the front porch of Körner's Folly around 1905, about the time he was heading to college. 📸

Gilmer attended Guilford College for two years then transferred to Trinity College, now known as Duke University. He briefly left school to work for his father’s interior decorating business but returned to school and graduated from Trinity and the Southern Conservatory of Music in 1908, having begun his musical studies in violin and piano at a young age. 🎻

Gilmer also received his master’s degree from Trinity College, and in 1911, he attended Harvard University, receiving his law school certificate. After passing the bar exam, Gilmer practiced law in Winston-Salem at the L. M. Swink law firm. ⚖️

In 1917, Gilmer enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve, tying the knot with his sweetheart Susan Brown, and received a commission as Ensign. The newlyweds moved to Washington, D.C. where he worked as Assistant General Counsel to David H. Blair in the Bureau of Internal Revenue. After Susan gave birth to their son Jule Gilmer Körner, III, Gilmer was appointed Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve, where he served until 1921, when President Coolidge appointed him judge to the U.S. Board of Tax Appeals (now the U.S. Tax Court). 📄

In 1927, Gilmer founded a law firm with his colleague David H. Blair in Washington, D.C., called Blair, Körner, Doyle, & Worth, specializing as a corporate tax lawyer. Although Gilmer had the opportunity to start a branch of this firm in North Carolina, he chose to stay close to his grandchildren. And though he never returned home to live in Kernersville, he studied his genealogy passionately, eventually publishing his research and the story of his family and Körner's Folly in 1958. ✍️

His book, entitled Joseph of Kernersville, is available for purchase in our gift shop inside the John & Bobbie Wolfe Visitors Center today!

This Saturday, Körner's Folly will host the next edition of our , an HERBARIUM WORKSHOP! 🌿🖼🤓

Enjoy a deep dive into the historical side of herbariums, featuring never-before-seen items from the Körner's Folly Collection and a lively presentation on Victorian-era botanical study. Then, with the help of horticulturalist Adrienne Roethling, we'll learn the process for preserving specimens and leave with our own herbariums to bring along on future expeditions! 📖

Join us in the Community Room of the John & Bobbie Wolfe Visitors Center on Saturday, August 17 from 1 - 4 pm for this hands-on experience of the natural world!

Limited space remains for this program! Register today at the link below:
https://kornersfolly.org/events/vps-herbarium/

Questions? Email [email protected] or call (336) 996-7922.
Image: pages from the poet Emily Dickinson's herbarium

In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood, or metal that juts out from a wall to help bear weight, such as of a mantel or molding above. A corbel is a solid piece of material in the wall, whereas a console is a piece applied to the structure.

In this photo taken in the Long Room, the wooden piece is technically a console, or separate piece applied to the wall after the weight-bearing structure is completed. Also called a modillion, this decorative piece is ornately carved with scrollwork, rosette, and braiding. At Körner's Folly, modillions on either side of the door opening to the Reception Room two steps below may have held a curtain rod for heavy velvet curtains, muffling sound and providing privacy.

📸 Photo by Michael Blevins

We're getting EXCITED about this year's Kernersville Oktoberfest on 10/5!
🪗🥨🍻🌭🍷
Featuring seasonal and German-inspired food and drink, music, and fun, this event is a great time for a good cause! All proceeds from Oktoberfest help the Körner's Folly Foundation keep the historic home open year-round and continue our restoration of this local landmark.

Do you have your tickets yet? Take advantage of Early Bird pricing now through September 5! Tickets available at the link below:
https://kornersfolly.org/events/kernersville-oktoberfest-2024/

We heard today is ! 🦁

Celebrated on August 10th, World Lion Day is a global initiative dedicated to promoting conservation through habitat preservation, anti-poaching legislation, and promoting ways of co-existing with this apex predator.

In addition to being the King of the Jungle, the lion was highly symbolic in Classical art since the earliest days of ancient Rome. The lion was used to symbolize power and strength, and became a popular subject for mosaics, sculpture, and painting. Perhaps most famously, the Capitoline lions were two enormous bronze lions that stood at the entrance of the Roman Senate.

Jule seemed to be fond of lions too, as he picked out several leonine figures for the decorative fireplace surrounds at Körner's Folly!

📸 All images by Michael Blevins

It's almost time for back to school! We wish everyone a wonderful start of the academic year, filled with lots of learning and fun experiences! 📚👩‍🏫🎨🎻

Because the Körner kids were educated right here at Körner's Folly, they didn't have to ride a bus or pack a lunch, and all their work was technically "homework"!

Gilmer (born 1887) and Doré (born 1889) were taught by local educators Ruth Blair and Notra Johnson, who also taught local children through the Juvenile Lyceum, a theatre program for young students from Kernersville. Like most children of that time period, playtime was minimal, and studies were the first priority!

Gilmer and Doré studied the "three Rs": writing, reading, and 'rithmatic, as well as music and art lessons. When the children were done with lessons, they began on their chores. For Gilmer, that included bringing in wood for the stoves to keep the house warm, and trimming and cleaning the home's kerosene lamps, while Doré helped to make and mend the family's clothing and linens and assisted in the kitchen preparing meals.

After chores were done, the children found time to play with their raccoon Bob, and the other family pets, including as many as thirteen cats and a dog! Gilmer and Doré also enjoyed sleigh rides in the winter, and picking fruit at the family orchard.

We hope you all had a wonderful summer and wish you a happy first day of school! For homeschool students, we're looking forward to hosting you all for a special program, Homeschool Day: Art & Architecture on Monday, September 23!

Click the link below for more info and to register:
https://kornersfolly.org/events/homeschool-day-art-and-architecture-334/

Image: photograph of Gilmer and Doré in front of a landscape backdrop, likely painted by their father Jule, circa 1895. Thanks to Tim Vogel for recoloring this image!

Due to flash flood warnings and unsafe travel conditions, Körner's Folly and the Visitors Center will be closed today (8/8/24). Tickets booked for today will be refunded or rescheduled. Stay safe out there!

Check out this amazing section from Doré Körner's herbarium, held in the Körner's Folly collection and donated by Pamela Wolfe Browne, Doré's granddaughter!

During the Edwardian era, botany was considered an appropriate field of study for female scholars. As a result, many women during this time period collected plant specimens, pressing, drying, and cataloguing their finds in bound indexes called herbariums. Doré began her herbarium while at Guilford College, recording a specimen she found in the "G.C. Woods" (wooded areas around Guilford College) in 1906.

The specimen is bloodroot, also known as Sanguinaria canadensis. Bloodroot is an herbaceous perennial in the poppy family native to eastern North America, from Florida up into Canada. Other common names include bloodwort, Indian paint, and red puccoon. This species is found in undisturbed woodlands, on flood plains and on slopes near streams or ponds. It is generally rare but can be locally abundant. A red sap exudes from all parts of the plant, but especially the root, and is used as a natural red or yellow-orange dye. Bloodroot has been used in native medicine as a topical antibacterial agent and during Colonial times, was used to treat flu, colds, and sinus and lung infections. Despite this history, today bloodroot is not generally recommended for medical use, as it has severe, dangerous side effects, such as dizziness, blurry vision, vomiting, nausea, bradycardia, fainting, and even death.

Join us on August 17 here at Körner's Folly for our Victorian Parlor Series: Herbarium Workshop with horticulturist Adrienne Roethling! More information and registration available at the link below:
https://kornersfolly.org/events/vps-herbarium/

Images: Specimen worksheet from Doré's herbarium, bloodroot specimen, photograph of Doré in 1909, shortly after she graduated from Guilford.

Go Team USA! 🇺🇸
We're enjoying cheering on the incredible athletes at the 2024 Olympics in Paris! From judo to basketball, archery to swimming, and all the forms of sport in between, these games have been so exciting to watch!
🏹🏊‍♀️🏀🥋
Did you know that the modern Olympics were first held in 1896? The games took place in Athens, and featured 280 participants from 12 nations, competing in 43 events. The first Team USA was mostly made up of athletes from the Boston Athletic Association, who responded to organizer and physical educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin's idea to revive the ancient tradition. 🏺

The United States team of 11, which featured only one national champion, won nine gold medals in the twelve athletics events! The final event of the 1896 games was the marathon, which was won by a Greek athlete. So impressed were the Americans by this feat of strength and endurance that they returned to their home county with plans to stage a race of their own in 1897. Eventually, the efforts of the Boston Athletic Association became known as the Boston Marathon, one of the longest-running races in the United States! 🥇

Image: The Boston Athletic Association's members on Team USA in 1896 in the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece.

Happy ! 🪡
In 2011, members of a Swedish embroidery guild came together to celebrate the useful and beautiful art of needlework across the globe, gathering in public spaces to share stitches and friendship. 🌍

We're celebrating by taking another look at Polly Alice Körner's timeless crazy quilt! Immensely popular during the Victorian era, crazy quilts offered makers an astonishing array of choices in color, texture, shape, and style, resulting in amusingly eccentric works of art that still inspire us today. 😵‍💫

What's your favorite stitch in Polly Alice's quilt segment? What's your favorite stitch of all time? Let us know what you think!

For this we're sharing the restoration of the Private Dressing Room! 🔨🧰🎨

Located off Jule and Polly Alice's bedroom, the Private Dressing Room features built-in cabinets over an alcove for clothing storage. To the left of the alcove, a glass door opens onto a narrow hallway which connects to the Dining Room, Cellar, and Smoking Room. This hallway featured a small sink basin for daily washing, but also allowed domestic workers to access spaces in the home.

This Room was meticulously restored in 2017 to reflect the pink and brown color scheme painted in this room in the 1890s. Restoration also included replacing worn stair treads as well as recreating the tulip trim that adds a wonderfully whimsical detail to the space! 🌷

To date, 16 of the 22 rooms inside Körner’s Folly have been restored to their original grandeur! Book tickets today to see Jule Körner’s masterpiece at your own pace at kornersfolly.org, or purchase upon arrival inside the John & Bobbie Wolfe Visitors Center at 401 South Main Street, Kernersville.

Registration is open and filling quickly for our upcoming Victorian Parlor Series: Herbarium Workshop on Saturday, August 17! 🌿

Join Körner’s Folly and horticulturist Adrienne Roethling for an afternoon session filled with fun facts about how to find, identify, and press native plants to create your own take-home herbarium in the new John & Bobbie Wolfe Visitors Center.
An herbarium is a collection of preserved plant specimens and data used for scientific study, usually in dried form.

This edition of our Victorian Parlor Series draws inspiration from Doré, the daughter who grew up at Körner’s Folly, and her pastime of collecting and preserving flowers and other plant specimens, as well as the herbarium created by the poet Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886).

All supplies and materials are included in registration fee. Space is limited for this program. Registration fee is $35 per person, available at the link below:
https://kornersfolly.org/events/vps-herbarium/

Images: a page from Emily Dickinson's herbarium. photos from our Victorian Parlor Series: Historical Herbs in 2021. 🌾

Did you know that during the Victorian era, after the lavish embellishments on crazy quilting, the more minimal style of "redwork" became the method of choice for adorning a variety of household items? 🪡🧵🪡

From the practical dish towel to the decorative pillow sham, redwork embroidery made its mark on a variety of textiles, including coverlets or quilts, pillow covers, dresser scarves, toys, aprons, and tea towels.

The craft’s name hails from the use of “Turkey red” thread, a colorfast dye derived from the madder plant’s roots found in Asia and Europe. Initially, Turkey red was the only colorfast option, which led to its widespread use. Original redwork patterns often incorporated lettering, adding a personalized dimension to the work and featuring phrases like “Good Morning,” “Good Night,” and “Sweet Dreams”, such as can be seen on these pillowcases most likely embroidered by Polly Alice Masten Körner for her children Gilmer and Doré.

Hundreds of original artifacts used, made, and cherished by the Körner family can be found inside the historic home today. Visit for a self-guided tour to explore fascinating objects from the Victorian era at your own pace. Körner's Folly is open Tuesdays - Saturdays from 10 am - 4 pm and Sundays 12 - 4 pm (last entry at 4 pm).

Images: Redwork pillow cases and bib with the letter 'G' from the Körner's Folly collection