US. WE ARE KEEPING THE GOOD VIBES GOING THIS MORNING WITH OUR NEXT LIVE GUEST. SO WHEN YOU HEAD TO REYNOLDA HOUSE IN WINSTON-SALEM, YOU WILL NOW NEED TO BRING YOUR A-GAME. WELL, STEPPING IT UP A NOTCH TOO. THEY HAVE RECENTLY RESTORED THE RECREATIONAL AREA IN THE BASEMENT OF THE HOME AND GUESTS
CAN NOW PLAY GET THIS PING PONG. OH, I LOVE PING PONG. AND HERE TO TELL US MORE IS BARRY HELM. SHE IS THE DIRECTOR OF ARCHIVES AND LIBRARY AT THE REYNOLDA HOUSE. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. WE SEE YOU HAVE YOUR PADDLE READY TO GO IN HAND.
LOOK AT THAT. SO SHOW US WHERE YOU ARE IF YOU WANT. AND WE’RE TOLD THAT THE B BASEMT WASN’T ALWAYS FOR RECREATION ACTIVITIES. CAN YOU TELL US WHY YOU GUYS KIND OF DECIDED TO GO THIS ROUTE? YEAH, I’M IN THE BASEMENT SPACE. RONALDA. AND WHEN KATHARINE AND R.J. REYNOLDS LIVED IN THE HOUSE,
THIS SPACE WAS FOR SERVICE. IT WAS FOR STORAGE. AND THEN IN 1934, WHEN THEIR OLDER DAUGHTER, MARY REYNOLDS BABCOCK, PURCHASED THE HOUSE, SHE WANTED TO INFUSE IT WITH WHAT SHE CALLED MODERN FLAIR WHILE STILL KEEPING THE CHARACTER THAT HER MOTHER HAD ESTABLISHED IN THE HOUSE. BUT ONE OF THE SPACES SHE
TRANSFORMED THE MOST WAS TAKING THIS UTILITARIAN BASEMENT AND TURNING IT INTO A SPACE FOR DAYTIME RECREATION. SHE TERMED IT AS SHE WANTED SPACE FOR RAINY DAY ACTIVITIES, SO SHE ADDED THIS PING PONG ROOM HERE, THERE’S A BOWLING ALLEY, A BILLIARD ROOM. EVEN THE FLOORS WERE MEANT TO BE
USED FOR ROLLER SKATING, AND IT WASN’T JUST FOR THE KIDS. IT WAS FOR THE ADULTS AS WELL. BECAUSE SHE ADDED AN ART DECO BAR TO THE BASEMENT BECAUSE THIS WAS THE HEIGHT OF THE HOME COCKTAIL PARTY. SO YOU COULD HAVE YOUR MARTINI AND THENEN COME PLAY A LITTLE PG PONG.
KIDS BACK THEN HAD JUST AS MUCH ENERGY AS THEY DO TODAY. APPARENTLY NO SHORTAGE OF ACTIVITIES FOR THEM. SO WHY DID REYNOLDA CHOOSE TO RESTORE THE PING PONG ROOM NOW? SO IT’S A PART OF A LARGER INITIATIVE OF TAKING THESE UNDER UTILIZED SPACES IN THE MUSEUM. THIS PARTICULAR ROOM HAD BEEN
USED FOR STORAGE FOR DECADES, SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS BEEN OPEN THAT WE ALLOW VISITORS TO PEEK INTO WHAT THE PING PONG ROOM USED TO LOOK LIKE. PING PONG AND ROLLER SKATING. YOU HAD ME AT THAT TOO. ALL RIGHT. SO WHAT WAS ALL INVOLVED ININ PUTTING THIS TOGETHER?
I MEAN, HOW YOU SAID IT WAS USED FOR STORAGE FOR A WHILE. HOW MUCH DID IT WHAT WAS THE UNDERTAKING TO GET THIS BACK UP AND RUNNING AGAIN? WE HAD TO CLEAN EVERYTHING OUT. WE CONSULTED HISTORIC BLUEPRINTS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ARCHIVE. WE FOUND A PHOTOGRAPH FROM THE
1960S THAT SHOWED THAT THE WALLS WERE PAINTED CREAM, BUT THE CEILING WAS THIS RED AND WHITE STRIPE, THIS SORT OF INVOKE A CIRCUS TENT FEELING. AND THIS WAS JUST PART OF A BIGGER INITIATIVE THAT WAS FUNDED BY THE LINDNDSEY PLEBAN MILLER FUND TO SORT OF ADD MORE INTERACTIVE HANDS ON ACTIVITIES
FOR OUR VISITORS. AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO ALLOW VISITORS TO ACTUALLY PLAY? WE’RE SHOWING SOME VIDEO OF SOME SKILLED LOOKING TENNIS PLAYERS THAT GOT TO GIVE IT A SHOT TO. YEAH, SO WE WANTED VISITORS TO NOT JUST SEE THIS ROOM, BUT HOW FUN IS IT THAT YOU CAN COME IN
AND ACTUALLY PLAY, I DON’T KNOW, MANY HISTORIC HOUSES OR ART MUSEUMS WHERE AS PART OF YOUR VISIT YOU CAN BRING YOUR FRIENDS, BRING YOUR FAMILY AND COME PLAY A GAME OF PING G PONG BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR THE DAY. NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE HAVING FUN THERE. THOSE TENNIS PLAYERS.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE VISITOR RESPONSE SO FAR GOING INTO THE ROOM AND GETTING TO PLAY? IT’S BEEN GREAT SO FAR. WE’VE HAD THE PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYERS, LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS FAMILIES HAVE COME IN AND PLAYED AND IT JUST GIVES A NICE LITTLE INTERACTIVE, WHIMSICAL FUN MOMENT BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR THE DAY.
AFTER TOURING THE HOUSE AND SEEING INCREDIBLE AMERICAN ART, YOU GET TO HAVE A LITTLE FUN, ESPECIALLY IN A MUSEUM. IT’S COOL TO HAVE THAT KIND OF INTERACTIVE ACTIVITY. I WANT TO SEE THE BOWLING ALLEY, TOO. THAT’LL BE THE NEXT THING THAT YOU GET TO SHOW US. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME
THIS MORNING. FOR EVERYONE AT HOME, THE REYNOLDA HOUSE IS OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK. THEY ARE CONVENIENTLY LOCATED ON RINALDO ROAD IN WINSTON-SALEM.
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