Archive for the ‘Press Releases’ Category

Challenging Renovation… March 2013

KERNERSVILLE, NC—Historic Körner’s Folly, 413 S. Main Street, is facing a remarkable challenge.  A $150,000 challenge to be exact, and the structural stability of the house is riding on it.  As it turns out, the Körner’s Folly Foundation is actually welcoming this particular challenge—in fact, the Foundation is downright thrilled.

In August of 2012, an anonymous donor and descendents of the Körner family issued a challenge to the Körner’s Folly Foundation.  They offered to donate $150,000 specifically for the structural restoration of Körner’s Folly, IF, and that’s a big IF, the Körner’s Folly Foundation can raise $150,000.  And there’s more: they must raise the matching funds by December 2013.  If the Körner’s Folly Foundation is successful, they will then have $300,000 to structurally repair Körner’s Folly.  The structural repairs include stabilizing the foundation of the house and restoring the Folly’s iconic roof.  Upon completion, these repairs would structurally stabilize Körner’s Folly for at least the next 100 years.  The matching challenge is certainly a tall order, no doubt about that, but the Körner’s Folly Foundation is hopeful of community support.

The challenge and structural repairs are part of the Körner’s Folly Foundation’s long term restoration plan, “Operation Restoration,” which outlines a mission to restore the exterior and interior of the house.  Exterior restoration has been divided into three major phases:

Phase 1:  Front and Side Porch Restoration (Approximately $160,000) COMPLETED

Phase 2:  Foundation Stabilization (Approximately $100,000) COMPLETED

Phase 3:  Roof Renovation (Approximately $200,000) NEEDS YOUR HELP!

The Körner’s Folly Foundation has consulted with many specialists over the years to develop this long-term restoration plan.  They have patched the roof numerous times and did minor repairs to stay ahead of water damage for decades, and it’s been a costly, uphill battle. But now, Operation Restoration is finally being put into action to proactively preserve the house.

This summer, Phase I of Operation Restoration was launched when the Foundation completely restored the intricate brick masonry of the front and side porches thanks to funding from the Lawrence E. Pope Foundation and the Town of Kernersville.   The challenge has created an outpouring of support, which allowed the Körner’s Folly Foundation to begin Phase II, the structural repairs to the foundation, this January.  The house is reopening for public tours as of March 1, 2013.

And now, if the Körner’s Folly Foundation can complete the $150,000 challenge, Phase III, restoring the roof, will complete the structural stabilization of the house.   Thanks to overwhelming community support, in just six short months, Körner’s Folly is almost half way to their goal; having raised $70,000 to date.  The individuals from all over the community have come together to show support for the beloved, albeit strange, town landmark.

The restoration of the roof is a particularly important goal of Operation Restoration because the leaking roof has prevented any interior restoration for decades.  The red tin roof that currently tops Körner’s Folly was installed in 1954 to replace the original chestnut-shingled roof that had weathered considerable damage.  Now, nearly 60 years later, the tin has weathered considerable damage and poses a unique threat to the eight murals on the top level of Körner’s Folly.  The tin roof heats and cools creating considerable temperature fluctuation and condensation that leaches through the plaster walls, to stain the murals that are located just 10 inches on the other side.  Normally, an insulation layer would combat this problem, but no insulation was installed when the tin roof was put on Körner’s Folly.  The goal of the Körner’s Folly Foundation would be to install a more breathable and insulated roof and explore building materials that are more similar to Körner’s Folly’s original roof.  Restoring the 133 year old house has been no easy task, but the Körner’s Folly Foundation is thrilled at the progress so far, and is hopeful progress will continue.

Looking to the future, now that Phases I & II are complete, once the roof restoration is completed, the next major phase would be to start interior restoration.  Interior plans would include restoring the damaged and faded murals, woodwork, and interior plaster, with the ultimate goal of returning it to a sparkling representation of life in Kernersville in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Armed with a clearly prioritized master plan to proactively restore Körner’s Folly, the board of directors and executive director now have a clearly focused way of seeking funding.  This systematic approach to restoration has proven successful thus far, and shows a strong commitment to the mission to restore and preserve Körner’s Folly for the education and enjoyment of the public.

Interested in helping Körner’s Folly raise the challenge of $150,000?  Every dollar counts; call (336) 996-7922 for more information or to donate today!

This article appeared in the March 2013 edition of Kernersville Magazine, click here to see the full article: Challenging Renovations…March 2013

132-Year-old house gets an operation June 2012

Groundbreaking Ceremony at Korner's Folly

Groundbreaking Ceremony at Korner’s Folly

Körner’s Folly, sitting majestically on South Main Street, is under-going an operation.  That’s right, an operation, for rejuvenation of sorts.  The strange old house needs work, badly.  Kernersville’s most famous home has been the source of constant revision and renovation since the 19th century. Now, in the 21st century, this unusual residence once again is preparing to be reinvented.

Sitting directly on South Main Street, age, weather, and traffic have all taken their toll on this historic house.  The intricate masonry on the front and side porches has weathered the brunt of the structural damage over the years.  “The brick work on the porches is especially delicate because the bricks were handmade on the property over 132 years ago.” says Dale Pennington, Executive Director of Körner’s Folly.

Wilson-Covington Construction Company, Inc. of Winston-Salem, North Carolina has been selected to complete the extensive structural and masonry repairs to the front and side elevations of Körner’s Folly.  “Small repairs have been made to the masonry, but have included the addition of Portland Cement, that has further eroded the face of the original, handmade bricks,” says Hayes Wauford of Wilson-Covington.  The original mortar had a very high lime concentrate.  Over the years, the bricks have been patched with Portland Cement, which did not adhere to the lime based mortar, and has actually sped up deterioration.

Wilson-Covington will be adding footings below the front porch walls to help prevent future settling. The area of the front porch that extends toward Main Street will be reconstructed with salvaged brick and new, handmade brick from Old Carolina Brick Company.  Any new, handmade brick will be made to specifically match the existing bricks. The masonry knee walls and arches at both side porches will be reconstructed on new footings, again using brick salvaged from the Folly and new brick from Old Carolina.

This project is particularly exciting for Wilson-Covington as the President, Clay V. Ring, Jr., grew up on Salisbury Street behind the Folly.  Ring constructed his first home on the lot next door, just north of the Folly.  In a curious twist, the current resident of Ring’s home is now the great grandson of the original builder of the Folly.

“The Folly is an irreplaceable piece of Kernersville history and today remains standing through community support.  Our goal is to eventually restore the Folly to its former elegance and beauty, as a lasting landmark for generations to come,” says Pennington.   Plans are to stabilize the house structurally, and then focus on restoring any interior items such as faded artwork, damaged woodwork, and interior plaster. A membership campaign called “Operation Restoration,” has been launched to coincide with the renovations.  The porch restoration was made possible by support from the Lawrence E. Pope Foundation, the Town of Kernersville, and supporters of the Körner’s Folly Foundation.