Past/Present/Future

Originally built as the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bowman and Nathalie Gray, The Graylyn Estate has continued to transform over the years. Graylyn, completed in 1932, served as the private home for the Gray family until 1946, when Mrs. Gray and her sons donated the home to the Wake Forest School of Medicine. In 1972, Gordon Gray purchased the home back from the school of medicine and donated it to Wake Forest University. Serving as housing and meeting rooms for students and faculty, the home was turned into a conference center following the third floor fire in 1984.

The Gray family wanted an estate that could be enjoyed by the community and reinvest in a city that continued to flourish. Today, The Graylyn Estate serves as a conference center, event venue and hotel for guests all over the world. Although various aspects or buildings of the estate will go through renovations and updating, the purpose of Graylyn will continue to  serve the community through scholarship awards at Wake Forest University, partnerships with local nonprofits, and the preservation of a part of Winston-Salem history.