Published: April 10, 2009 03:33 pm      

French Camp to celebrate 200th anniversary

FRENCH CAMP — French Camp is planning a weekend full of activities for May 8 – 10, kicking off a yearlong bicentennial celebration. It will be a great time to enjoy the hospitality of French Camp Academy and the Town of French Camp.

Take a leisurely stroll through the grounds of the Historic District. Tour the Log Cabin Gift Shop and Council House Café, Greenwood Leflore Carriage House, the James Drane Home, the alumni museum and other attractions. Sit and listen to live dulcimer and acoustical music. Civil war weapons will be on display, also.

Saturday will feature games, rides, and slides for the children and an arts and crafts market sponsored by the Town of French Camp. Throughout the weekend artisans will be practicing crafts such as chair caning, leather working, candle making, and basket weaving.

In his book “A Way Through the Wilderness,” historian William C. Davis documented 1809 – 1810 as the date Louis LeFleur settled the area now known as French Camp. Originally, a hunting camp, an inn eventually was built and it became a stopping place for stagecoaches.

For about 200 years, French Camp has been a place for rest, food, and hospitality. Many travelers along the Natchez Trace make a point of stopping to eat at the Council House Café and shop in the gift store. The food is homemade and delicious, and local craftsmen and artisans supply unique wares for the store. The welcome is always warm.

Throughout 2009-10, events are planned: quilt shows and speakers; plant swaps and gardening seminars a sorghum weekend, old-fashioned Christmas celebrations.

Come for a day or stay the night at the Bed and Breakfast. For 200 years now, French Camp has offered a comfortable retreat and place for renewal. We hope to be here for at least another 200, but don’t wait. Visit us now.