It’s safe to say that there is no other town in the state quite like Wilson. Founded by Robert E. Lee Wilson in 1886, Wilson eventually grew into the hub of a plantation that once employed over 11,000 workers. The town and the land for miles in every direction
Stroll through Stratford-on-Mississippi
According to Wilson family lore, R.E.L. “Roy” Wilson II,
Eat at the Wilson Cafe
The Wilson Cafe at 2 N. Jefferson St. had been shuttered for over 10 years when the Lawrence renaissance came rolling through in 2012. To run it and spearhead the renovation of the cafe, Lawrence hired chef Joe Cartwright away from upscale Memphis eatery The Elegant Farmer. You’re not going to believe this, but these days the tiny cafe that seats a couple hundred people for lunch and dinner every week, tops, rivals any restaurant in Arkansas when it comes to decor and the quality of its fare. Inside, the place looks like something out of Architectural Digest, with every inch refurbished and every tile, cup, spoon, sink, light fixture and
Across the street from the cafe is Wilson Gardens, an organic produce farm. The gardens are run by Leslie Wolverton, formerly of Oxford, Miss., a veteran organic farmer who was given free rein to implement her ideas there. A building called The Grange serves as the offices of Wilson Gardens, but also a test kitchen, educational space and occasionally as a performance hall for music acts brought to town. Visit wilsongardens.com for more information. Shop!
Yes, there is shopping in Wilson that goes far beyond the small grocery store on the square. White’s Mercantile, at 17 Cortez Kennedy Ave., in a renovated Tudor-style gas station, is the latest in a chain of chic shops with sister locations in Franklin and Nashville, Tenn. The brainchild of Nashville singer/songwriter Holly Williams (Hank Williams’ granddaughter), the Mercantile is restored to picture-perfection, and chock-full of hip, Pinterest-ready items, from cookbooks to candy to crockery to soap, all personally selected by Williams.