Körner's Folly is a historic home located at Kernersville,

Forsyth County, North Carolina Forsyth County is located in the northwest Piedmont of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 382,590, making it the fourth-most populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Winston-Salem. Forsyth ...

. It was built in 1880 by Jule Gilmer Körner, and is a 6,000 square foot, -story, eccentric brick dwelling with a shingled, cross-gable roof. It measures 48 feet on each side, with four bays. The house is said to have served originally as combination dwelling, stable, and

carriage house A carriage house, also called a remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack. In Great Britain the farm building was called a cart shed. These typically were open ...

, and featured an open carriageway running through the center of the house. Körner made his fortune by spearheading one of the first national advertising campaigns by painting murals of

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bulls on buildings and barns across the American east coast. In the 1870s he moved back to his hometown Kernersville, NC, to build Körner's Folly and start an interior decorating and design business. After marrying Polly Alice Masten and having two children, Gilmer and Dore, Körner closed the carriageway and renovated the house to its present floor plan. The 22-room interior features unusual architecture and many examples of Victorian furniture and interior decoration since Körner used the house to showcase his business. Also on the property is a brick outbuilding – a small-scale version of the main house – which functioned as the "

privy Privy is an old-fashioned term for an outdoor toilet, often known as an outhouse and by many other names. Privy may also refer to: * Privy council, a body that advises the head of state * Privy mark, a small mark in the design of a coin * Privy Pur ...

." The third floor of Körner's Folly contains "Cupids Park," which the museum says is the oldest private theater in America. Jule and Polly Alice Korner built the theater as part of their "Juvenile Lyceum," which was a philanthropic project providing local children with access to the arts. Today, the theater is used by local theatrical groups and by the Körner's Folly Foundation for a puppet show, which is performed several times a year for children and visiting school groups. The 22-room mansion is now a

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...

that is owned and operated by the Körner's Folly Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Visitors can view original furnishings and artwork, 15 fireplaces, cast-plaster details, carved woodwork, and elaborate hand-laid tiles. The house is open to the public for self-guided tours Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 4 pm, with the last entry time at 3 pm. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1973. It is located in the South Main Street Historic District.

Gallery

File:Korner's Folly, 271 South Main Street, Kernersville (Forsyth County, North Carolina).jpg, Körner's Folly, HABS Photo File:Körner's Folly, a mansion derided as excessive when the owner built it in this small town. Kernersville, North Carolina LCCN2011633856.tif, Körner's Folly, side view

References

External links

Körner’s Folly
- official site * Historic American Buildings Survey in North Carolina Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina Houses completed in 1880 Houses in Forsyth County, North Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Forsyth County, North Carolina Museums in Forsyth County, North Carolina Historic house museums in North Carolina Historic district contributing properties in North Carolina {{ForsythCountyNC-NRHP-stub