As Halloween creeps up on us, spooks and scares are filling the Village. This means the Reynolda House is kicking it up a notch and getting into the spooky mood with its intriguing display surrounding the unexplained and unsolved death of R.J. Reynolds’ son, Smith Reynolds.
The Reynolda House in Winston-Salem allows guests to tour the premises from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday through Saturday. Letting guests dive into the history and explore the museum, allowing them to tour the kitchen, dining area, game rooms and many bedrooms. Guests enjoy this chilling story and many form their own opinion on Smith’s death in their exhibit, “Two Rings, Seven Months, One Bullet.”
Other guests find this house to be an escape from the current world, deep-diving into the stories of the past.
“It takes you back to a different time and place. Nowadays, it’s hard to get that sort of escapism, so walking around and getting lost in the history is very peaceful,” visitor Brendan Wolf said.
The mystery began on July 6, 1932, when Smith Reynolds was fatally shot on his sleeping porch after his party. Many suspect his wife, Libby Holman, of murder, due to the fortune she would gain from Smith’s inheritance, as well as the fact that she was on the sleeping porch at the time of his death. Others believe it was his friend Albert Walker, who supposedly had an affair with Libby. Others interpret it as suicide because Smith spontaneously wrote to Albert that he was going to “go out and end it all.” But what happened? That’s an answer you’ll have to find out for yourself.
If you need a good scare before Halloween, head to this House of Horror and uncover the truth behind those who lived in it.