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Korner's Folly

Forsyth County, North Carolina Registered Historic Place stubsHistoric American Buildings Survey in North CarolinaHistoric district contributing properties in North CarolinaHistoric house museums in North CarolinaHouses completed in 1880
Houses in Forsyth County, North CarolinaHouses on the National Register of Historic Places in North CarolinaMuseums in Forsyth County, North CarolinaNRHP infobox with nocatNational Register of Historic Places in Forsyth County, North CarolinaUse mdy dates from August 2023
Korner's Folly Kernersville NC Jan 2015
Korner's Folly Kernersville NC Jan 2015

Körner's Folly is a historic home located at Kernersville, Forsyth County, North Carolina. It was built in 1880 by Jule Gilmer Körner, and is a 6,000 square foot, 3+1⁄2-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, 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 Bull Durham Smoking tobacco 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."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 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 in 1973. It is located in the South Main Street Historic District.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Korner's Folly (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Korner's Folly
South Main Street,

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N 36.115277777778 ° E -80.078888888889 °
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Korner's Folly

South Main Street
27284
North Carolina, United States
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kornersfolly.org

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Korner's Folly Kernersville NC Jan 2015
Korner's Folly Kernersville NC Jan 2015
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Isaac Harrison McKaughan House
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Isaac Harrison McKaughan House is a historic home located at Kernersville, Forsyth County, North Carolina. It was built about 1875, and is a two-story, L-shaped Italianate style brick farmhouse. It has a central hall plan and two-room rear ell.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

South Main Street Historic District (Kernersville, North Carolina)
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South Main Street Historic District is a national historic district located at Kernersville, Forsyth County, North Carolina. The district encompasses 53 contributing buildings, 2 contributing sites, and 2 contributing objects in Kernersville. They include residential and commercial buildings built between about 1834 and 1930 in a variety of popular architectural styles including Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, and Bungalow / American Craftsman style. Located in the district is the separately listed Korner's Folly. Other notable buildings include Spears House (c. 1834), Dr. Elias Kerner House (1857), Elias Kerner Huff House (1880), Greenfield and Kerner Tobacco Factory (1884), (former) Bank of Kernersville (1903), DeWitt Harmon's Office (c. 1928), Kernersville Moravian Church (1922), and Main Street United Methodist Church (1924/25).It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

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