What is Körner's Folly?

In 1878, Jule Gilmer Körner began construction on what would ultimately become the landmark we know today. As an interior and furniture designer, decorator, and painter, Jule planned to use his new home, dubbed Körner’s Folly, to showcase his design work to his clients. He filled Körner’s Folly with his interior and furniture designs as a “catalogue” for his clients to view his work firsthand.

As Körner’s Folly began to take shape, its unique design defied simple description, and was constantly under renovation to make way for Jule’s new ideas. As a result, no two doorways or windows are exactly alike; there are 15 different fireplaces, and ceiling heights range from 5 ½ feet to 25 feet. The pivoting “windows” and other interior openings anchor a unique air distribution system, while cubbyholes and trap doors exemplify Victorian ingenuity. Child-size rooms give way to an airy and elegant reception room. A former stable was renovated into a library and sewing room. The top level houses a theater, Cupid’s Park Theatre, believed to be the first private little theater in America.

The elegant, eclectic structure boasts twenty-two rooms spread out over three floors and seven levels, and to Jule, it was never truly complete. When he died in 1924, his daughter Doré discovered fresh renovation plans on his drawing table. In 1970, after many years of vacancy disrepair, the Folly was saved from demolition by 26 local families, including Körner descendants. Together, they formed the Körner’s Folly Foundation, a nonprofit organization, to begin restoration of the house and share its wonder with the Piedmont Triad community and beyond.

Thanks to their vision, visitors can now explore this historic house museum and view its unique original furnishings, artwork, cast-plaster details, carved woodwork, and elaborate hand-laid tile.