The Story of Purdon Groves
Before there was The Patio and The Loft, there was Purdon Groves, a property we purchased in 2017 just 14 miles from downtown Corsicana. We owe a debt of gratitude for all that we experienced while stewarding that property and business. Without that experience, The Patio and The Loft would not exist.
This is our origin story…
We didn’t know when we moved to Dallas in 2011 that we’d fall in love with Texas. The plan had been to open up a Dallas office for Houston’s company before returning to our home in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, in six months to a year.
Then, in the summer of 2017, while living in a high rise on Main Street in downtown Dallas, we bought 21 acres in Navarro County, near Corsicana. Even before buying and developing the property we were cultivating our love of hospitality and the arts. Our dream was to build a place where artists and other guests could connect, retreat, celebrate and create.
While still in Dallas the essence of what would become Purdon Groves began to take shape. Weekly dinners with our life group from our local church were the model for what would become the Chef’s Table Experience. We also hosted an evening called “Purdon Groves at The Loft” with around 30 creatives. A personal chef prepared a meal, friends helped serve and a well known speaker from the creative world spoke. A sense of community was enjoyed around the table.
From the beginning, we planned to have a farm on the acreage. We had no prior farming experience, but were eager to learn. For two years Houston and our daughter Emilie worked together on the property itself, making the commute several days a week. Emilie focused on the farming operation, using hydroponic and traditional methods, while Houston worked with contractors on shaping a road and preparing the land for additional ponds and glamping tents. During this time Sherry primarily handled the social media side of the business, making community connections, both on and off-line. She and Emilie even sold our produce at the Dallas Farmer’s Market for a time.
We knew that we had to have a financial engine for Purdon Groves since our aim was to provide free lodging for artists. While we initially planned for a wedding venue to be the source of income, we discovered building that structure was cost-prohibitive. A year later glamping became an alternative revenue generator. Little did we know how many people would benefit from that happy accident.
In the summer of 2019 we hosted our first Chef’s Table Experience, as well as our first glamping guests, at Purdon Groves. We also moved from Dallas to a historic loft in downtown Corsicana. This allowed us to more easily host glampers and those wanting to do farm tours. And it gave us the opportunity to acquire livestock. Over those first three years we made friends and connected with the community. We sold our produce from our home and our neighboring retailer, Mita’s Coffee House.
During Covid Purdon Groves was a safe place for people to congregate. We grew from one to three tents very quickly and hosted many families, friends, individuals and artists. Houston led farm tours for out-of-town glampers, as well as locals.
In the summer of 2022 we moved into an RV on the property. Our architect had made plans for a structure that included an artist’s workshop, as well as a small apartment for us. We loved the plans, but needed to know first if we’d be happy living on site where we worked. So we sold a lot of furniture, put some things in our storage container, and along with our three pups, made the move.
While downsizing to a much smaller space, in a rural setting, where our lives and work were so interwoven took some adjusting, there were benefits we embraced. For several months we got to live next door to our son and daughter-in-law, who temporarily lived in their converted school bus on the property. Impromptu meals and wildlife encounters on the farm led to laughter and shared memories. We also witnessed glorious sunrises from our front door and a blanket of stars overhead at night. Walking over to the chicken coop to gather still warm eggs for guests and ourselves was a treat, as was watching our livestock guardian dog Samson emerge from the early morning mist after a night of guard duty.
However, within a year and a half we were both tired of RV living and Sherry was craving more connection and community on a regular basis. With that in mind, we made the decision to move back into town and began looking for a loft to rent in downtown Corsicana. When we couldn’t find a rental, a realtor friend told Houston about a building that was for sale. (We later found out the historic structure was built in 1871, making it one of the oldest buildings in Corsicana’s Main Street District.) There was a restaurant downstairs that could be rented to a tenant and we could live upstairs. A concrete slab next door was included in the purchase price that could be used as an event venue. We were intrigued and cautiously excited, but honestly knew it was a longshot.
However, within a matter of months we were living downtown and Sherry’s dream of walking to coffee shops, boutiques, eateries and church became a reality. Even before moving back into town, we were blessed to secure a tenant for the downstairs restaurant space - K&K Barbecue. Kamar and Kisha Chambers are great tenants and friends. We honestly probably wouldn’t have bought the building if they hadn’t said yes to renting the space.
We continued to manage Purdon Groves, often with the help of friends and contracted help, while discovering how we could best use the rest of the new property in Corsicana. We named the outdoor event space The Patio and began hosting The Patio Vendor Market and Open Mic, as well as offering event rentals. We began hosting ladies’ craft workshops and small concerts in the indoor, upstairs space - The Loft.
Fast forward to the spring of 2026 and we realized that it was no longer sustainable for us to manage both Purdon Groves and the properties in downtown Corsicana. As bittersweet as it is, it is time to close the chapter on Purdon Groves and continue the new one we’ve begun on The Patio and in The Loft. As we look back on our time at Purdon Groves there are tears - both wistful ones and happy ones - for the milestones and memories created. Here are just a few:
From 2019 to 2024 we hosted hundreds of glampers (families, friends, couples and individuals) and led countless farm tours. Artists shared their creative journey with groups of diners under the ancient oak trees as we feasted on delicious chef prepared meals. Groups of ladies learned the art of watercolor in the cool of the evening while our Great Pyrenees Samson kept watch. We had the privilege of hosting two Bend and Brew coffee and yoga events in our outdoor venue on the property. In 2021 we were the hosts of a Texas Gravel Tour Bicycle Race, which included 100 cyclists. We even got to celebrate the 2024 Solar Eclipse with people from around the world at Purdon Groves.
But those aren’t the only memories that were made. We also created some special times with our own family and friends - sitting around the campfire, toasting marshmallows, making s’mores with a toddler or talking about life with our adult children and friends.
Rest assured that we are taking all of the things that made Purdon Groves dear to so many and are bringing them to what we’re currently doing on The Patio and in The Loft. Hosting guests and championing creatives, along with connecting like minded people are core to who we are.
It has been exciting to see the community embrace what we are doing on our section of Beaton Street, especially given the history. There once stood a building at 209 S Beaton St, where The Patio is now located. It caught fire in the middle of the night in 2011. While we mourn the loss it represented to the business owners and our town, we are grateful for the opportunity to use the space in a way that helps bring the community together. It’s been encouraging to hear the impact of the revival of 209 South Beaton from those who have called Corsicana home for most of their lives.
We’ll continue to host The Patio Vendor Market in October, November, December, March, April and May. Monthly Open Mic, led by Meetinghouse Revival will resume September-June. And we’re even planning an open mic specifically for musicians. As always, we will be renting out The Patio for private events and parties.
In The Loft, the popular Ladies’ Nites will become even more frequent. We also plan to add dinners similar to the Chef’s Table Experience, where artists will share their creative journey with diners. And new this year, we will begin renting out The Loft for daytime/evening parties, as well as photo shoots.
We can’t wait to see you soon in downtown Corsicana!