Historic By Meghan E.W. Corbett
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here are many beautiful buildings in this area with wonderful historical stories behind them. Many of them are not open to the public for events, or require admission to tour. Built in 1925, the Historic Broyhill building has been through many changes in the past 90 years, but the quality and beauty of the location has remained constant.
“Originally established as an elementary and high school, students attended Clemmons Elementary and Clemmons High School until 1956 when the last class graduated,” said Director Kristin Johnson. “In 1981, the building was slated for demolition. With a strong appreciation for history and historic preservation, Ed Broyhill heard of the plans for demolition and decided to purchase and restore the old building. Upon completion of this first round of renovations, the Broyhill family saw the opportunity for a Clemmons Village concept furniture sale location and opened the Edgar B. Furniture Plantation. Through the 20 years, the building was home to a variety of furniture-based concepts, including the Edgar B. catalog order fulfillment center, The Old Clemmons School Antique Mall and The Old Clemmons School Furniture Liquidation Center. In 2006, after the most impressive round of renovations, the Broyhill Office Suites and Conference Center concept was born.”
This newest concept would come to be the most popular and would attract area businesses – and it was a supreme location for success. “This ‘multi-business under one roof’ community concept afforded local business owners luxury office suites and a conference center in the heart of the facility,” said Johnson. “Today, The Historic Broyhill building continues to operate as fully functional Class A Office suites for more than 30 Triad-based businesses.” The newly renovated space exudes charm with features such as 1920s décor with beautiful chandeliers and classic furnishings. “The newly renovated conference center hosts a variety of events, from seminars to fundraisers to weddings,” said Johnson. “The story of the Historic Broyhill building is being written each day. We don’t really have normal business hours as most of our tenants own and operate their own businesses. Each individual office sets its own hours. And, of course, the social events and weddings can last through the night.” What is so exciting about this space is the constantly changing atmosphere. “There really is no such thing as a ‘typical day’ in a mixed use facility,” said Johnson. “Each day brings new opportunity. I can say that the ‘typical experience’ for our tenants and guests is this: each morning, as our guests arrive, the smell of coffee fills the air as we brew a fresh pot each morning for their arrival. Music and conversation fills the lobby area as people gather, talk and read the morning paper while relaxing on the plush furniture. Our brides and grooms are met with friendly faces and the scents of the season with seasonal candles adding to the relaxed atmosphere. Every day and every visit, our guests are met with a warm hello and a friendly face. That is our policy.” Kristin Johnson knows the Historic Broyhill building more than most and is the person to talk to about special events. “I love discussing ideas, opportunities and details,” said Johnson. “I’ve been fortunate to see and be part of many events at the Historic Broyhill, and I know how best to utilize our meeting and event space. A big challenge of ours is that people are not aware of what we have to offer. So many people drive by the Historic Broyhill daily and never stop in. I invite each and every reader to stop by for a visit. Our doors are open to the public! We have so many great businesses headquartered here, so many great events going on here and so many fantastic people to get to know here. The Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber of Commerce is headquartered and meets monthly here; we have fundraisers and social events; and we feature the ENSEMBLE art gallery all throughout our hallways. It’s a great, great place!” The Historic Broyhill is perfect for an executive office suite, a business meeting location, fundraising event location or for a charming wedding reception. For more information, call Kristin Johnson at the Historic Broyhill at 336.793.1191, extension 1. The Historic Broyhill can also be found on Facebook and at www.Broyhill.net. 52 / ForsythWoman.com