by Bari Helms The history of Reynolda is full of mysteries and curiosities. One point of curiosity—the location of the formal gardens. At the time of Reynolda’s construction, most formal gardens were intended for private use and were most often situated behind or at least adjacent to the main residence. But at Reynolda, Katharine Reynolds chose to locate her formal gardens as an extension of the greenhouses and along a public road, which leads to the question: were the gardens at Reynolda meant to be public? Private? Or a hybrid of both? Further, what did it really mean for a space to be public in the context of 1917? When Katharine unveiled her model farm in 1917, the Twin-City Sentinel described Reynolda as an “experiment station... destined to become one of the great factors in the development of rural life” in North Carolina. Katharine created a space for local farmers and their families to come and learn the newest techniques in scientific agriculture, dairying, livestock
10
C U LT I VAT E
FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 0
management, and horticulture. But did this public accessibility extend to the formal gardens? Katharine opened her greenhouse and gardens for many public and private events. Reynolda Road provided easy social and commercial access while still protecting the family’s privacy. Chrysanthemum shows were held annually in the greenhouse beginning in 1913, before the formal gardens were even planted in their final form. An admission fee of twenty-five cents was charged and plants were sold for the benefit of the local YWCA, of which Katharine was a founding member. The annual show continued during World War I for the benefit of the Red Cross. Students at Reynolda School used the gardens as their stage for plays and operettas, like their 1921 performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While it was
rare, not
Above: Harvey and Rosalie Miller visiting Five Row, late 1940s or early 1950s. Opposite: Bynum Fulcher Sr. (left), touring Reynolda Gardens, around 1918.
