Preserving an agricultural legacy was one objective Darrell and Lori Rice had when they planted grapes on rolling hills north of Elkin.

The property that became Grassy Creek Vineyard & Winery had been the renowned Klondike Farm of the early decades of the 20th century.

For the Rices, the beauty of the land is an attractive feature. They and others also enjoy the history of the place and have found a unique way to tell part of the story of the heritage, using found items around the dairy.

With the help of a Greensboro archivist, they have restored 51 "birth certificates" of Guernsey cows from the property's dairy era. A display of the documents was dedicated recently with wine and song, Grassy Creek wine and music by the Haw Creek String Band.

It was a pleasant time enjoyed by many. The Rice's believe honoring the heritage of the farm will be a good match for the vineyard.

The event commemorated the work of the dairy's founder, Thurmond Chatham.

He created one of the finest milk and cream producing operations in the region in 1927. The dairy produced and delivered first class milk through most of 1965.

It was also known for breeding stock. Auctions were held on the farm, bringing five figures per head, according to local amateur historian Jason Couch. He has spent years researching the history of the farm and collecting memorabilia.

Among other things, his study revealed that a sire of the farm was born on Admiral Richard E. Byrd's second expedition to Antarctica and went on to receive worldwide acclaim and visits from dignitaries. In 1935, promoters took the bull, Klondike Iceberg, to Winston-Salem for a reunion with Byrd. There is also a picture of Iceberg in front of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.

By the mid 1960s, the dairy faded and the property became a hunting preserve and getaway for friends and textile business associates of the Chatham family.

In the waning days of the area's textile industry; however the property came under consideration as a site for a housing development.

That's when the Rice's got involved. They planted vines on the hills, built a quaint tasting room with beautiful wine bar and exposed beams in the roof. That's adjacent to a small lake and focused on a large sloping lawn used for musical events and other gatherings.

Also in the preservation plans is a dairy barn dating to the Klondike days. It went out of use when the farm ceased operation. "They just shut the door and left it," Darrell Rice said.

Some time later, Chatham Manufacturing stored old textile equipment in the building. "They needed a place to put it and, somebody said, 'here's this old barn,'" Rice said.

The equipment was still there when he bought the property and eventually moved it out, preparing the structure as a winery. During that process Rice noticed long forgotten documentation of former tenants of the barn.

Over each stall was a handwritten "birth certificate" indicating the name, birth date and lineage of each animal.

They are an obvious keepsake to help tell the story of the heritage of the farm and Rice began making plans to frame each one rehang them when the barn is restored.

Now he knows that his attempt to preserve the documents dating back to the mid 1950s might have done more harm than good. But he wouldn't have discovered the mistake without the intervention of a Greensboro wine lover.

Christina Maguylo enjoys touring wineries and vineyards in her spare time. In real life she works for Etherington Conservation Services in Greensboro. The company does high-quality preservation work on documents and paintings. Regularly it does work for the North Carolina Museum of Art, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Archives.

She learned of the bovine artifacts by happenstance on a visit to Grassy Creek in May. She began talking with Rice about what he had and says she knew immediately that she wanted to get involved. She took it on as a personal project and spent 30-40 hours meticulously removing the 51 documents from the barn, cleaning them and encapsulating them in a vacuum sealed vinyl cover.

Describing the care she took with removing nails from the documents in the dense wood of the barn, Rice said, "She has incredible patience."

But he wanted the job done correctly and is appreciative for her willingness to do the work without a fee.

"I have a passion for preservation, a passion for history and a passion for good wine," Maguylo said recently at the dedication of the restored documents.

She became interested in fine wine while studying art in Italy. She worked in the vineyards there and learned something of the heritage that follows vineyards in Europe.

"I enjoy getting to know the people and the story behind the land," Maguylo said. "That's part of it."