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Which historic hotel has rare Louis XV paneling imported from France along with a 15th century French carved doorway with custom ironwork?
If you guessed The Graylyn Estate (1932) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, you guessed correctly!
Built by the Gray family in the 1920s and 1930s, Bowman Gray, Sr. was a "captain of industry" and a president of the R.J. Reynolds tobacco company. The Graylyn Estate was built at a time where families such as his were moving out from the city to the countryside to construct even grander estates. The Graylyn Estate boasted elegance in design, opulence, and progressive technological capabilities for the era. The Gray family enlisted artisans and craftsmen from all over the United States to make their home a masterpiece in itself. The Manor House showcased an imported 15th century French carved doorway, custom ironwork, hand-painted tile motifs, and rare Louis XV paneling imported from Paris. Amenities were very lavish and truly unique for their time. This included gold-plated fixtures, solid marble tubs, heated towel racks, built-in scales, and a shower with 17 shower-heads are what made Graylyn a vision of luxury and opulence.
Today, the Winston-Salem estate is now managed by the Wake Forest University and is dedicated to supporting the university through student scholarship funding.
Learn more about The Graylyn Estate and book your next stay.