OCTOBER 31, 1916 . It only seems fitting that an address like 666 West Fifth Street holds the most memorable Halloween parties. 101 years ago today, the Reynolds family throws one of the final gatherings at their Fifth Street home. And this one was most certainly to die for.
Reynolds   Family  at  Fifth   Street   Residence , c. 1900-5. Digital NC.
The Reynolds family transformed their Victorian home on Fifth Street in Winston-Salem into a perfectly spooky milieu to celebrate All Hallows' Eve. The celebration was held every year, not just in 1916. R.J. and Katharine's younger daughter Nancy Susan Reynolds recalls Halloween when she was young:
Below clip from M.A. Wetherell's Robinson Crusoe (1927). Prelinger Archives, archive.org .
"[The basement had] dummies, or stockings with sand in them, cold wet sand, were sort of made up like ghosts or spooks. And you touched the banister of the stairs and got an electric shock. So they really went to town."

I remember a Mr. Manly, a very prominent lawyer...was Robinson Crusoe. I think what people did was start planning their costume a year ahead. He had a sheepskin, with a soft side and a furry side. He had... had no shirt on... And he had an umbrella, with the smooth side of the sheepskin on the outside and the furry stuff on the inside.

Of course he got the prize."
Nancy Reynolds on horse in front of Fifth Street house, c. 1912. Estate Archives.
Fifth Street house under renovation, c. 1910.
Bird's-eye view of the twin cities, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 1891 . Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

Google Maps, 2017.
R.J. Reynolds and children in front of the Fifth Street house. c. 1913. R. J. holds his youngest child, Smith, in his arms. Nancy, Mary, and Dick (left to right) stand nearby.
The success of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company resulted in the construction of large homes in Winston-Salem, only a short distance from the factories themselves on the edges of the city. And, by 1905, following R.J. and Katharine's honeymoon, they moved into a Queen Anne mansion downtown at the corner of Fifth and Spring Streets.

Built in 1895 for R.L. Williamson from mail-order plans, the Fifth Street house was sold four years later to William Neal Reynolds (R.J.'s brother) and his wife Kate Bitting Reynolds. The couple shared their house with R.J. and their widowed mother, who died in 1903. In 1904, William and Kate purchased property next door and sold this house to R.J.


It wouldn't be until Christmas 1917 that the family would relocate permanently to Reynolda. The Victorian-style mail order home was replaced with a grand country estate with a unique blend of Edwardian and Tudor architectural styles customized to Katharine Reynolds's specifications and tastes. Today, we get to see the bungalow and gardens much like it looked when the Reynolds and later, Babcock families, enjoyed it. Now you can too!

Now at your local Forsyth County library
The newly constructed Central Library now stands on the site of the former Reynolds family home on Fifth Street. In partnership with the Forsyth County Public Library, Reynolda House is proud to offer a new pass that grants free Museum admission to two adults. These passes are available at all Forsyth County library branches and may be checked out with a valid library card for 7 days at a time.

Check one out today!
Holidays at Reynolda
This Christmas will mark the 100th anniversary of the Reynolds family officially moving in to their new country estate. Join us for our Centennial Christmas and see archival cards to and from the family never before on view, updated decorations informed by new research, and sing-along carols in our Reception Hall.
Celebrating 100 years of Reynolda with the landmark exhibition Georgia O'Keeffe: Living Modern
— Final weeks!
Reserve your tickets in advance to experience this new look at Georgia O'Keeffe, as seen through the artist's wardrobe, paintings, and photographs of her made by some of the 20th century's most noted photographers. See how Georgia O'Keeffe carefully crafted her persona over her long career as seen in over 190 objects.

Reynolda House is the only Southern venue for this exhibition.

NEW TIMESLOTS: Due to popular demand, Reynolda House will stay open until 5:30 p.m. each Sunday during the exhibition's final weeks. Book your ticket at our new 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. timeslot on November 5, 12, or 19 .

Image: Alfred Stieglitz (American, 1864–1946).  Georgia O’Keeffe , circa 1920–22. Gelatin silver print, 4½ x 3½ in. (11.4 x 9 cm). Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, N.M.; Gift of The Georgia O’Keeffe Foundation, 2003.01.006. © Georgia O’Keeffe Museum