The Midnight Ride of The Fat Bald White Guy
On a cold February night, it snowed all across North Carolina. Foregoing a hike in the snow for a ride around town in a Jeep, my hiking companion and I got a midnight tour of freshly adorned snowy Kernersville, North Carolina
Stopping first at the historic Fourth of July Park we got a patriotic start to our midnight ride.
Four inches of snow was already on the ground and a another inch was steadily falling making the trees look as if they were encased in cotton.
Nearby the 1870 one room Piney Grove School House reminded us that school was closed tomorrow.
From the park we ventured down Main Street and dodging some fast moving snow plows, we snapped some pictures of the sights.
First stop was the Gazebo at Harmon Park.
The gazebo was donated by the Grande Dame of Kernersville, Margaret Burks in memory of her late husband Leo Burks. They left the lights on for us and as a result I got a postcard quality photo.
Historic Downtown Kernersville exhibits the largest number of restored 19th Century homes and buildings outside of Old Salem. Across the street from Harmon Park is the home of Julius Harmon, built in 1858. The Harmon House is owned by Clarence and Imogene Lambe and is used to host events.
Driving south on Main Street we came upon the Historic Korner's Folly. The Folly was built in 1880 by Jules Korner. It is one of the most unusual homes in the state, sporting a little theatre in the attic. Jules Korner painted the famous Bull Durham Tobacco ads. Owing to his artistic inclinations, the home is adorned with murals painted by Italian artists.
Across the street from the Folly is one of my favorite homes, occupied by one of my favorite people, Edgar Shore. The home was built in 1857 by his great grandfather, Dr. Elias Kerner, and has been the home of the Shore family for several generations.
Down the street is the 1867 sanctuary of the Kernersville Moravian Church. I really can't take a better picture than this.
Next to the 1867 Sanctuary is the 1992 Sanctuary. The belfry seemed to be frosted over.
On the north end of the downtown is the recently restored historic Southern Railway depot that dates to the 1870's.
On the way home I grabbed a nice shot of the Pierce Jefferson Funeral Home, built in 1850's and once served as a hospital for Confederate soldiers. It was originally a private school built by Masons known as the Plunkett Place, and served as a residence before becoming a funeral home in the 1930's.
Of course two other not so famous nor historic buildings were worthy of photographs. The first is the Collins Law Office in Central Park. This is where the Fat Bald White Guy goes for his real life job.
The second is the home of my mother. Though she now resides in a rest home, she enjoys pictures of her home in the snow.
