History
Design and construction began in 1912 and lasted until the end of 1917. Charles Barton Keen, who had gained notable success designing homes in Pennsylvania and New York, was the architect of not only the main house, but also the village that included a church, stables, and a school, on the estate. Katharine Reynolds was very involved with the design of Reynolda, and some of her correspondences with Keen survive. The family finally moved in December 1917, but R. J. Reynolds was ill with pancreatic cancer and was not able to enjoy his new home. He died July 29, 1918.
Reynolda was the home of two generations of the Reynolds family. In 1935, Mary Reynolds Babcock, the elder daughter, acquired the estate. She and her husband Charles Babcock used the house as their vacation home until 1948, at which time they moved permanently to Reynolda. The property remained in the family for nearly 50 years. The museum has restored interior rooms and furnishings to reflect the periods when the family lived there.
Read more about this topic: Reynolda House Museum Of American Art
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