April Maness
I am often asked about the history of the property and how I came to acquire it. The property was once owned and farmed by the Howell family for many years. Over time, the land was divided and sold, but I was fortunate enough to purchase the last 5 acres of the farm. Mrs. Mozelle (Howell), the matriarch, and I remained friends until her passing. We spent hours on the phone while she shared stories of her children growing up here, fishing in the pond and stories about the community. She told me that the area was once named “Salem Community” …. hence the name, The Oaks at Salem. When I first shared my thoughts of opening my home for weddings and events, Mrs. Mozelle thought it was a wonderful idea. I can still hear the excitement in her voice when she replied, “I have so many many good memories here and now, so many others will too!” How right she was and continues to be.
It was a dream to buy back some of the original land and return it to a working farm. Today, The Oaks at Salem is just over 11 acres. We have blueberries, vegetables, flowers, and bees. I like to think Mrs. Mozelle would be proud. The original home may be gone but the legacy of the Howell family is preserved. The blueberry field is named “The Howell Field”. We also have “The McKinnon Field” for the vegetables and “The Meeks Field” for the flowers to honor both of my grandmothers who were hard-working farmers in their own right. You will see both my son and I work in the fields, caring for the bees and occasionally’wet a line’ to go fishing. We are making our own precious memories here just as the Howell family did.
We strive to be good stewards of this land and preserve its legacy so that generations to come may have their own “good memories” here as well. Please come visit The Oaks at Salem and see all that it has to offer!