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Born in Ireland, Drage Sr. and his father, who also worked at Reynolda, were both gardeners. The two worked at a Philadelphia estate prior to moving to Reynolda, and returned to Philadelphia when Katharine Reynolds passed away in 1924. “When Mrs. Reynolds died, my dad lined her grave with orchids,” Drage Jr. remembers.
Drage Sr. later came back to Winston-Salem to work as a gardener at the Bowman Gray estate, Graylyn, located across the street from Reynolda, and remained there until Bowman Gray Sr. died in 1935. Drage Sr. then opened his own floral shop on Polo Road. In the early 1940s, Drage Sr. was asked by Nancy Reynolds to work on her property on St. Simons Island in Georgia--the Musgrove Plantation--where he remained until his death in 1961.
Drage Jr. also tells about his own life, including what it was like to grow up at Reynolda, “It was a real joy to live on this place. For us kids, we had a ball. We had the run of the place.” Drage talks about his wife, Nadeina Gibson, who also lived at Reynolda with her parents and whose father, Robert L. Gibson, was the head electrician. Drage describes various features of the the estate when he lived on it, such as the quarry that existed by what is now Silas Creek Parkway and Lake Katherine where he remembers annual baptisms being performed by members of the Five Row Church, which he claims was the only time of year that the African Americans could use the lake. Drage also speaks about his travels around the world with the Navy during WWII.
Drage discusses the Reynolds children, including Z. Smith Reynolds’ mechanical inclinations and great interest in aviation. He points out, “He [Smith] was the youngest commercial pilot in the U.S. at the age of 16…” He goes on to speak about Smith’s tragic death. Drage also touches on Dick Reynolds and his travels and the luxury ship liner he bought as a business endeavor.
ProvenanceThe Reynolda House Museum of American Art Oral History Project, established in 1980, gathered recollections from Reynolds family members and former employees, residents, and guests of the Reynolda estate. The interviews explore life at Reynolda and in Winston-Salem, N.C., during the early and mid-twentieth century, touching on the area’s socioeconomic, political, business, and cultural history. Early interviews conducted in 1980 were done by Lu Ann Jones; later interviews were conducted by museum staff.
Exhibition History8 September 2015-July 2016
Reynolda Gardens: Reynolda at 100
Reynolda House Museum of American Art
Published ReferencesMayer, Barbara, Reynolda: A History of an American Country House (Winston-Salem, NC: John F. Blair, 1997).
Gillespie, Michele, Katharine and R. J. Reynolds: Partners of Fortune in the Making of the New South (Athens, GA: University of George Press, 2012).
DepartmentEstate Archives
J. Alfred Drage Jr. Interview
Subject
Mary Reynolds Babcock
(1908 - 1953)
DateApril 15, 1993
MediumDocument
Credit LineReynolda House Museum of American Art Archives
CopyrightPublic Domain
Object numberOH.03.028.1
DescriptionJ. Alfred Drage Jr. (1918-2005), son of J. Alfred Drage Sr., Reynolda's horticulturalist, was interviewed by Lu Ann Jones as part of the Reynolda Oral History Project. Drage Jr. lived at Reynolda during the years that his father was the horticulturalist, 1921-1924. In this interview, Drage provides background about his father and his work, what it was like to live in Reynolda Village, as well as some information about the lives of the Reynolds children and Reynolda employees who lived on the estate.Born in Ireland, Drage Sr. and his father, who also worked at Reynolda, were both gardeners. The two worked at a Philadelphia estate prior to moving to Reynolda, and returned to Philadelphia when Katharine Reynolds passed away in 1924. “When Mrs. Reynolds died, my dad lined her grave with orchids,” Drage Jr. remembers.
Drage Sr. later came back to Winston-Salem to work as a gardener at the Bowman Gray estate, Graylyn, located across the street from Reynolda, and remained there until Bowman Gray Sr. died in 1935. Drage Sr. then opened his own floral shop on Polo Road. In the early 1940s, Drage Sr. was asked by Nancy Reynolds to work on her property on St. Simons Island in Georgia--the Musgrove Plantation--where he remained until his death in 1961.
Drage Jr. also tells about his own life, including what it was like to grow up at Reynolda, “It was a real joy to live on this place. For us kids, we had a ball. We had the run of the place.” Drage talks about his wife, Nadeina Gibson, who also lived at Reynolda with her parents and whose father, Robert L. Gibson, was the head electrician. Drage describes various features of the the estate when he lived on it, such as the quarry that existed by what is now Silas Creek Parkway and Lake Katherine where he remembers annual baptisms being performed by members of the Five Row Church, which he claims was the only time of year that the African Americans could use the lake. Drage also speaks about his travels around the world with the Navy during WWII.
Drage discusses the Reynolds children, including Z. Smith Reynolds’ mechanical inclinations and great interest in aviation. He points out, “He [Smith] was the youngest commercial pilot in the U.S. at the age of 16…” He goes on to speak about Smith’s tragic death. Drage also touches on Dick Reynolds and his travels and the luxury ship liner he bought as a business endeavor.
ProvenanceThe Reynolda House Museum of American Art Oral History Project, established in 1980, gathered recollections from Reynolds family members and former employees, residents, and guests of the Reynolda estate. The interviews explore life at Reynolda and in Winston-Salem, N.C., during the early and mid-twentieth century, touching on the area’s socioeconomic, political, business, and cultural history. Early interviews conducted in 1980 were done by Lu Ann Jones; later interviews were conducted by museum staff.
Exhibition History8 September 2015-July 2016
Reynolda Gardens: Reynolda at 100
Reynolda House Museum of American Art
Published ReferencesMayer, Barbara, Reynolda: A History of an American Country House (Winston-Salem, NC: John F. Blair, 1997).
Gillespie, Michele, Katharine and R. J. Reynolds: Partners of Fortune in the Making of the New South (Athens, GA: University of George Press, 2012).
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