Buena Vista is one of the most popular and sought-after neighborhoods in Winston-Salem. Known for its natural beauty and tree-lined streets, Winston’s founding families, like the Reynolds, Gray, and Hanes families, were the first to occupy the sophisticated area. The history of this location makes it a gold mine for hidden gems and remnants from the past. Here are five hidden gems you can find in the Buena Vista neighborhood of Winston-Salem:
The Outdoor Pool at Reynolda
In 1917, R.J. Reynolds’ used his tobacco fortune to build his family’s Winston-Salem country estate, Reynolda. Several years ago, renovations of the grounds uncovered the family’s outdoor pool. You can visit the old pool structure, which remains untouched and stuck in time, via a walking trail.
Some speculate preservations excluded the outdoor pool because it’s where Smith Reynolds, the youngest son of R.J. Reynolds, spent his final moments before his mysterious death. Smith died by gunshot to the head at around 1 a.m., after a party at the boathouse. The coroner’s evaluation led to first-degree murder charges for Smith’s wife, with his childhood friend named as an accomplice, although the case never made it to trial. Nobody knows if Smith Reynolds died by suicide, accident, or murder.
The Historic Graylyn Estate
The Graylyn Estate is a Norman Revival Style mansion on the National Register of Historic Places. U.S. News and World Report put this destination on their Top 16 Romantic Getaways in North Carolina in October 2020. During its establishment in 1928, the estate was the largest home in N.C., next to the Biltmore Estate. It was initially the home of Nathalie Lyons Gray and Bowman Gray Sr., chairman of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The Bowman Gray School of Medicine acquired Graylyn through a donation in 1946 and turned it into a psychiatric hospital. In 1972, Wake Forest University used the property as a student dormitory, housing 40 students yearly. Today, Graylyn is a hotel that doubles as a sophisticated and highly sought-after executive conference center and event space.
The “Secret” Garden
The Betty and Jim Holmes Food Bank Garden is a hidden 2-acre garden at Crossnore Communities for Children that grows fresh produce for the area’s underserved population through the Second Harvest Food Bank and Samaritan Ministries. The Food Bank Garden grows around 20 different vegetables. In addition to helping those challenged by hunger, the organization believes in sustainable practices, creating community, and educating people about growing food. Gardening experience is optional for volunteers, so it’s a great way to serve the community and learn gardening practices. Volunteers can sign up online here.
The Former Home of Maya Angelou
Dr. Maya Angelou was a resident of Buena Vista. The beloved American memoirist bought the house for $575,000 in 1994 and passed away in the home twenty years later. The year after her death, Shelley and Daryl Bible purchased the house for $500,000 and spent more than $1 million on renovations. They put the home on the market for $2.395 million in March 2020, and it sold for $2 million a few months later. We’re excluding the address as this is a private residence.
A Swimming Resort From the Roaring Twenties
A recreation center and “swimming resort” at the home of Harry T. Davis on Reynolda Road, called Crystal Lake, existed from 1925-1975. The pool was 250 feet long and 65 feet wide, with a concrete bottom and sides. A boating lake was situated above the pool area to rent canoes to paddle around an island with a large pavilion, which also had bridge access, seen in the photo. Today, the Corners Apartments are in the old Crystal Lake location, and you can still find the boating lake, island, gazebo, and bridge. Other remnants, like some stone walls along the paths, also remain.
