Page 14 - MOST RECENT
P. 14

During the next nine years we  do  not have  any  de-
                                                                                        tails  as  to  exactly  what  Joseph  was  doing.  ''Without
                                                                                         doubt,  Joseph  was  turning  his  hand  to  any  profitable
                                                                                        venture  that  turned  up."  By  1797  he  had  become  the
                                                                                        owner of  200  acres  of land  and  in  January  of  that  year
                                                                                        he married Christinia Kastner,  a  Moravian  and a  grand-
                                                                                        daughter  of  Adam  Spach.  The  three  children  born  to
                                                                                        their marriage  were  John  Frederick,  Salome  and  Philip.
                                                                                        This,  then, was the family  who  came to  their new home
                                                                                        at the  crossroads  in  1817.  John  Frederick  was  a  young
                                                                                        man  of  19  and  his  sister,  Salome,  a  year  younger,  with
                                                                                        young  Philip  a  boy  of  12.
                                                                                              Joseph  continued  to  keep  the  inn  and  related  busi-
                                                                                        nesses  at the crossroads  (now  called Kerner's  crossroads)
                                                                                        and  also  purchased  additional  land  until  he  had  in-
                                                                                        creased  the  tract  to  1144  acres.  He  died  at  the  age  of
                                                                                        61  on June 9,  1830 and was  carried back to his  Friedland
                                                                                        borne for burial.  He had remained faithful to the church
                                                                                        of  his  youth  until  his  death,  although  there  was  no
                                                                                        Roman  Catholic  church  closer  than  Charleston,  South
                           KORNER'S  FOLLEY
                                                                                        Carolina.  However, his wife and children were members
                       "A  Man's  Home  is  his  Castle."                               of the Friedland Moravian Church and he was accepted,
                                                                                        esteemed  and  loved  by  the  Moravian  community.  The
             Komer's  Folly  was  begun  in  1878  and  completed  in  1880.            Salem  Diary  for  June  10,  1830  reads,  "Brother  Bechler
        Its  architect  and  owner  was  Jule  Komer,  born  in  1851  and  the         preached  the  funeral  sermon  .  .  .  out  of  doors  in  front
        grandson  of  Joseph  Kerner  for  whom  Kernersville  is  named.               of the  church because the hall was  too  small  to  contain
        The "Folly",  as  it has  been  known  for  years,  was  built  to  accom-
                                                                                        all  the  hearers."
        modate  all  of  Jule  Komer's  needs.  In  1878  Jule  Komer  was  a
        young  artist  of  27  and  the  edifice  was  to  serve  as  a  bachelor            After  their  father's  death  John  Frederick,  Salome
        quarters,  studio,  stables,  and  carriage-way.  The  original  arches         and Philip  made  a  division  of the tract of land.  By  this
        through the center of the home,  forming the carriage-way,  are still           time  they  had  all  been  married  for  several  years.  John
        evident.  The stables  formed  the  right lower floors  of the building
                                                                                        Frederick was  married  to  Nancy  Landrum.  They  had  a
        and the bachelor quarters were situated on the left lower floors.  The
                                                                                        large  family  of  six  sons  and  three  daughters.  Salome
        studios  were  on  the  upper  floor  and  the  carriage-way  cut  directly
                                                                                        had  married  Apollos  Harmon,  formerly  of  Connecticut,
        through  the  center  of  the  building  dividing  the  bachelor  quar-
        ters  and  stables.                                                             and  they  had  three  sons,  two  of  whom  grew  to  man-
             Jule  Komer  married  Polly  Alice  Masten  iq  1886  and  the             hood.  Philip was first married to Judith Gardner and they
        home  began to  take  on  a  different  nature.  The  bachelor  quarters        had seven  children, four  girls  and  three  boys.  After her
        were  changed  to  living  quarters  for  the  newly  married  couple.
                                                                                        death,  Philip  married  Sarah  Gibbons  and  they  had  two
        The  carriage-way  was  enclosed  and  formed  a  vestibule,  dining
                                                                                        sons.
        room  and  breakfast  room.  A  kitchen  was  added  on  the  rear  of
        the  home.  The  stables  were  moved  outside  the  home  to  a  new
        barn  and  the  old  stables  became  a  library  and  sewing  room.
        When  Jule  Komer  started  in  the  interior  decorating  business
        his  home  became  his  showcase.  The  rooms  took  on  an  elegant
        air - silk  damask  on  the  walls - beautifully  carved  woodwork
        - hand-laid  tile  on  the  floors  and  around  the  fireplaces - and
                                                                                            The  home  on  South  Cherry  Street  built  in  the  1800's  by  Charlie
        magnificent  handpainted  murals  and  frescoes  on  the  ceilings.             Hunt  who  married  Mina  Kerner,  daughter  of  Israel  Kerner.  It  has  re-
                                                                                        mained  in  the  Kerner  family,  having  belonged  to  Robah  B.  Kerner,  Carl
                                                                                        Kerner  and  now  belongs  to  Theodore  C.  Kerner.























                 Board  of  Directors  of  Korner's  Folly,  Incorporated:  Jo  Fitz-
             patrick,  Elizabeth  Sparks,  John  W.  Lain,  Peter  W.  Blum,  III,
            Jack  White,  Billy  Pope,  Theodore  C.  Kerner,  Reginald  Styers.



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