Southern Hospitality – Memory Lane Mercantile

Much has been said about small town, Southern hospitality. In Decatur, Texas it is real and embodied in Memory Lane Mercantile proprietor, Jennifer Smurthwaite. Jennifer sees hospitality as her gift and gifted she is.

Upon entering her store, patrons immediately feel welcomed and appreciated. She has a warm and easy way with people. It is extraordinary in this day and time to have someone go out of their way to make a shopping experience unique. She encourages shoppers to slow down and take their time in the store often offering coffee and suggestions for other places of interest. She forms relationships and gets to know customers…even at times giving out her cell phone number.

Generous and supportive to the town that helped raise her children, Jennifer exudes a love for Decatur. By featuring local artisans and providing a meeting place for various activities, she is helping to build a better community.

Beautiful window designs and fabulous collections to shop from are enticing, but Jennifer is the true find in Memory Lance Mercantile.

You may walk in Memory Lane Mercantile a stranger, but you will leave a friend. Now that’s hospitality!!

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Who in the World is J. Riely Gordon?

Are you familiar with J. Riely Gordon? Chances are, if you have not heard the name you are a least very familiar with his work. Riely, a nationally recognized architect from San Antonio, Texas, was most known for his 18 beautiful Texas courthouses erected between 1883 and 1898. You guessed it! He was the architect that designed our very own Wise County Courthouse. Built between 1895 and 1896 our courthouse was deemed architecturally perfect by the design community. The Texas pink granite beauty became the crown jewel of the Decatur Town Square. We are in good company as the Texas State Capitol is also made out of pink granite. Why pink granite? The stone is beautiful and unique, but it may have had more to do with the fact that Texas is home to the second largest granite deposit in the world.

The Decatur Town Square, which was laid out in 1857, was now ready to take its place in Texas history.

 

We want to pay tribute to Decatur Town Square’s history as well as applaud its revitalization

 

Great things have happened ~ Great things are coming

 

People in small towns, much more than cities, share a destiny ~ Richard Russo