“Downtown… you can always go, Downtown.”

Thank you Petula Clark. Thank you because this song is eternally branded in my mind during my commute to the office. And whilst at the office, and whilst leaving the office and whilst… it’s catchy y’all, real catchy! My beloved Dolly Parton has a version as I’m sure you all know. I digress…

 

Welcome to James Farmer Incorporated’s international H.Q.! “Perrydise” is a classically, Southern small town surrounded by pecan groves, peach orchards, farm fields and timberlands. Anchored with a “Main Street” of shops and restaurants, our main street, though, is actually “Carroll Street.” Perry, Georgia,  does have a Main Street too, for the record, but Carroll Street is our downtown’s commercial thoroughfare.

Since graduating from Auburn, I have kept a home office – a pajama dress code can be luxurious but not professional, mind you. As my business and brand grew, the need for a “big boy office”  (as my sisters call it) became great. Our area offers many typical commercial properties, but the Atticus Finch in me wanted to stroll along the brick sidewalks of town clad in seersucker and bucks to and from work. I think every Southern gent has some notion of identification with Atticus Finch, and thus the locale for my office – downtown Perry was bar none the choice for the locale. I can walk to lunch or dinner, the bank, the library, to shops and the drugstore, and I love it!

 

A building downtown I have always admired became available this winter, and I pounced at the opportunity. My office and shop building started out as the home of the Houston Home Journal – Perry’s legal organ for many years. I feel it is only apropos that I now write about home and life here in Houston County in the Houston Home Journal’s former headquarters. A beauty parlor, a Christian bookstore and an accountant’s office filled in the gap between the HHJ and JFI’s occupancy, thus our building is full of all the character and charm a downtown address affords – and stories from ladies who used to have their permanent “set” here. I love it!




So here we are – we being my lovely staff (and Jason – ha!) and yours truly. We have my books, antiques and art, decorative accents, lamps and offer full service interior and garden design as well as specialty event planning. I’m pleased as punch to have this perch downtown, ya’ll. When I’m traversing across the South and the country too, I love the comfort of knowing that I have a home base, my little epicenter, at home – my steady pied-à-terre.

Come on in, take look around and visit us in Perrydise! Hope to see ya’ll soon!

Laura Lyn McLeod – Business Office Manager

Sami Jo Stimus – Assistant to Mr. Farmer

Kaylee McCullough – Shop and Office Assistant

Jason Ponegalek – Project and Installation Assistant 

Amber Phinisee Photography