Ahia november2013 digital

There’s something magical about being in the middle of nowhere—away from the noise and the buildings, in a place where you couldn’t begin to count all the stars in the sky or imagine the number of fields growing just beyond your line of sight. It begins before you even arrive at your destination. Traveling from Little Rock toward Stuttgart you can feel the pace of everyday life slow as you exit the interstate and head south on a two-lane road. Commercial 18-wheelers are replaced by grain trucks, and the cityscape gives way to field upon field of corn, cotton, soybeans and, of course, Stuttgart’s most well-known export, rice. It’s along these roads, just after crossing into Arkansas County, where you’ll find McEntire Place Plantation, the weekend retreat of Margaret and Jay McEntire. Upon arrival, in true Southern fashion, a group of beloved, well-fed dogs welcome your car and even if it’s your first time, you feel as though you’ve been coming here your entire life.

Twenty years ago the McEntires, who currently reside in Little Rock, purchased this farm in rural Arkansas County. Along with the land, the property included a 1940s mule barn, and a home, which was built in the early 1950s. As a Stuttgart native and part of a family that was farming before the Revolutionary War, McEntire feels fully at home here. In fact, he loved the farm so much he and Margaret began—almost effortlessly and naturally—to add to it with additional buildings and décor of historical significance. Today, they have expanded the gathering area to include, not only the main house, but also a guest house. A camp kitchen area and a boot room, which were part of the orginial mule barn and have been restored using salvaged wood, make the perfect spot for family and friends to store their gear and rehash duck hunting tales from morning shoots on the property. (continued on page 47) 40 At Home in Arkansas | November 2013