Once upon a time, on a 34-acre tract of land that was off Peace Haven Road, near Milhaven Road, there lived a man who owned and raised a variety of animals. At one time, he had about 350 birds from Africa, Australia, and South America, plus about 100 hoofed mammals, and an uncountable collection of squirrels. Some of the animals were unusual for this area, such as dromedaries, llamas, emus, rheas, peacocks, midget ponies, red squirrels, white swans, and Persian sheep.
James M. Hayes Jr. lived right at the Forsyth County line and he liked animals. Mr. Hayes was originally from Tennessee. He graduated from Wake Forest College and Law School. He worked for the FBI before he enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1941. He served during World War II on Guadalcanal, then he worked as a judge advocate and chief legal officer at Camp Lejeune after he contracted malaria. Mr. Hayes returned to Winston-Salem after his discharge and practiced law for more than 50 years.
Mr. Hayes served in the North Carolina Legislature and was instrumental in passing legislation that established the North Carolina Museum of Art. He also served in the National Guard and in the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was instrumental in planning the Armed Forces Day parades and events during the 1950s in Winston-Salem.
His animal collection began about 1951. In addition to the animals mentioned earlier, there were guanacos (humpless South American relatives of the camel), South American tree ducks, Chinese mandarin ducks, and muntjaks (the world’s smallest deer, from Asia). The aviary was surrounded and covered by wire and included an African crown crane, plus a variety of ducks, pigeons, and other birds. Norman Nifong, a student at Wake Forest School of Law, managed the animal collection.
The tallest and roughest animal in the collection was the male ostrich, standing 10 feet tall and weighing 500 pounds. By 1966, the 34-acres of land located across from the Sherwood Forest neighborhood, held more animals than the Asheville zoo.
In December 1966, in a letter to several city and county officials, Mr. Hayes offered to open his zoo to the people of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. Mr. Hayes would operate the zoo, plus care for and feed the animals at his expense. Apparently he already permitted citizens to visit the animals on the property because some adults today remember coming to see the animals when they were children. Mr. Hayes proposed that the zoo be open to the public daily, at specific hours, with no admission charge. He asked only that public officials help him by providing water and installing fencing and pavement for off-street parking. He said, “it would be primarily attractive to the school children of the city and county.”
Mayor M. C. Benton announced the offer and responded that city and county officials would consider the offer carefully. Mr. Hayes invited the officials to visit his property and look over the animals and the premises.
In the weeks that followed the offer, there were several articles in the local newspapers with comments from the City Recreation Department, the County Commissioners, and Mayor M. C. Benton. Residents in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood objected to having a zoo so close to their homes, citing traffic and unpleasant odors that would accompany a zoo. Once the property was ruled unfit for a zoo, the officials began to look at other options, such as purchasing the animals and opening a zoo at one of the local parks. Apparently there were plans for a Piedmont Triad Park that would be built on the Guilford-Forsyth County line, and officials were hesitant to invest in a local zoo when it might be better located at the Piedmont Triad Park.
By the end of January, 1967, the proposal was still being discussed, but officials were sounding more negative than positive. About this time, the zoo in Asheboro was taking hold and had the advantage of being centrally located in the state. So the local zoo proposal died.
The original 34-acre site has been winnowed to about 6 acres, with the land being sold for residences. There is no documentation about what happened to the animals. Perhaps they just lived out their lives on the Peace Haven property. James M. Hayes passed away in 2001 at the age of 82.
If anyone can contribute to this story, such as providing more information about what happened to the animals, please comment.
Photographs courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
Love this!!
Thank you.
I grew up on Milhaven Road, and Mr Hayes’ property was next to our house. I remember some of my brothers climbing over the fence and trying to dodge the llama spit quite frequently! The animals were a vivid & treasured memory of my youth!! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for the article. Phyllis Hayes Johnson, sister to Mr. Hayes. I grew up seeing the
animals and shared his love for them.
Phyllis Hayes Johnson: So nice. and such good memories. I worked for Lawyer Hayes when I graduated from High School. in the year of l959. I knew both he and Mrs Jones to be as if family to me. I look back and appreciate the interest he took in me as a young person just starting out. I had applied for a job at RJR. but some how never heard from them and I think someone referred me to Mr Hayes. Went from there to Wachovia Bank. Again I do appreciate the experience and getting to know him. Good memories from my youth.
My Mother did domestic work for the Hayes in the mid fifties to early sixties. I and four brothers did yard work and and fed the animals, I remember working their as a young boy with my older brothers: especially rounding the sheep up to be sheared. I remember the various animals: camels, lamas and how they would try to spit on you. I remember the ostriches how big they were and dangerous also. I remember pouring feed in one of their troughs one Saturday morning and that thing walked up on and started cackling and dancing, I cleared that high fence before I knew it. There were horses, ponies, sheep, geese, a netted large refuge with all type of bird there. There were peacocks that you would hear when you drove half way down the long driveway and would later see them spreading their feathers as the walked in the yard surrounding the white two story brick houses. I remember the nice lunches that Miss Thomasina would make and you would eat in the small kitchen area. I remember my mother showing me Mister Hayes’ War memorabilia room: there I saw numerous photos: swords, rifles, bullets, etc and powder blue hand grenades. I remember the black mynah bird which talked, especially the one that mocked Mister Hayes: coughing, clearing his throat and talking on the phone. I remember the Hayes’ “his and hers triumph sport cars” and the large Lincoln Continental. I have memories of Mister Hayes round face and his bushes reddish eyebrows and Misses Hayes accented voice.. I have very fond memories working for the Hayes, enjoyed every moment of it until I saw that black snake that was at least six feet long and as round as my forearm. I went on to serve 20 years in the Us Air Force and told many of people about the Hayes and growing up working for them. I had plans to show my children the zoo that I worked at when I was a teenager, but when I returned to Winston-Salem in the 90’s the land had been developed. So glad to share some of these memories. Russell L. Shelton, USAF Ret MSGT
Thank you for sharing these wonderful memories!
I remember all this too. I’m sure we met. I was about10 when I started helping and playing there. Do you remember Sampson or Rick?
Yes I remember Lawyer Hayes very well. I worked for him in 1960 after I graduated from MSHS in 1959. He gave me my first job after graduation. He was a very warn and caring person. I liked to think of him as an Uncle. He told me I could perhaps be a distant cousin. I was impressed how he took the time to be interested in my progress. Mrs Jones was also a very dear person. They absolutely made me feel at home a if I were a family member. I remember seeing the Zoo from a distance when we were in the area. In fact I lived off of Peace Haven Road. It was always good to see the animals.. Knowing him as I did, I feel sure that all the animals received the best of care. I am glad to have these memories from my youth. Appreciated the write up and thanks so much for sharing it.
This was great to see today, 4 years after it was written! I didn’t think many folks knew about this neighborhood treasure. This brings back so many great memories. Growing up on Locksley Lane
I spent many days there as a kid Along with my neighbors Clifford Zipter and Nick Reavis. They Hayes’s were wonderful. Many times I would ride in his Rolls Royce to Cherry Street prison and pick up Sampson, who was on work release, and bring him back to the house to work. Mrs Hayes had the Lincoln. I would spend about every weekend there, feeding and playing with the animals. I even took a baby Llama to my house and raised it in my sister’s playhouse. I named him Sampson. He would chase my dad around our yard and try to spit on him! I remember Rick Jarvis working there too. As a kid I helped deliver baby ponies and goats, shooting rats in the huge bird enclosure and feeding everything from horses to camels, miniature kangaroos & deers and emus. I remember riding with Mr Hayes, Sampson and Rick, several times, in a car or truck, down Millhaven Rd and throwing a rope around the neck of an escaped ostrich. Mrs Hayes would regularly invite me in for lemonade and I would explore around in the house. I still have a sword, ostrich egg and other things they gave me. They had so many African artifacts, swords, speers, hollowed out elephant feet and ivory carvings. The 2 ponds there were full of fish and it was a challenge keeping uninvited people off the property. I also enjoyed playing with his nephew who came down from New York or New Jersey every summer. There are so many stories and memories I’ll cherish, for as long as I can remember them.