The charming town of Piggott (population 3,774) sits on the edge of Crowley’s Ridge looking eastward toward the Delta, and it’s surrounded on three sides by Missouri. Happily for Arkansas, though, it’s all ours.
When my pal and I made off far too late one evening in an easterly direction toward Piggott for a writers’ retreat at the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center last spring, we had no idea the journey would take us two hours longer than we planned (be forewarned and know before you go, dear reader) and even less of an inkling of what to expect. Let me tell you, Piggott charmed the socks off us both. Literally, for me: my toes happily enjoyed their freedom on what felt like the first pleasant days of spring in Arkansas.
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Most surprising of all, however, was that four solid days in the tiny hamlet of Piggott (ok, sorry – couldn’t help that one), we felt as though we didn’t come close to doing everything we wanted to do despite our most enthusiastic efforts.
Near the square in downtown Piggott, Arkansas.
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We stayed at the 1917 Rose Dale Farm, which sits on twenty acres surrounded by fledgling nursery specimens and orchards just on the outskirts of town, its welcoming porch facing a freshly-tilled field and Crowley’s Ridge just to the north. Well-planned landscaping at the former Norred Farm blocked the harshest rays of sunrise to the east and sunset to the west of the porch, making it the perfect place to start and end our days. We hauled seating out onto the porch and enjoyed our morning coffee and our nightcaps there.
Rings from Hemingway’s bourbons; Rose Dale Farm and its environs.
While the traffic on the highway is not light, we never found it less than pleasant and enjoyed watching the world go by. The landscaping offered a buffer and a miniature sanctuary for birds, and we were entertained during our stay by pairs of mourning doves, redwing blackbirds, brown thrashers, chickadees, a couple of fretting swallows nesting on the porch and a very committed mockingbird who carried on in a nearby forsythia with capable parroting of dozens of songs.
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I was most fortunate to have the bedroom with a little bit of Hemingway’s ghost still visible. A charming note from the owner advised:
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My grandfather and his brother-in-law would take Ernest Hemingway hunting when he came to town. After the hunt, they would have bourbons at the secretary, leaving rings from the glasses. The lady of the house would get so mad, she would make Ernest come in the back door of the house and then she would leave when he was in the room. You can still see the rings on the writing surface!
The owner was an absolute delight, catering to our every need and fully stocking the little farmhouse with perfect snacks and drinks. The two bedroom (plus a sleeping option in the living room) home with its kitchen, dining room and back porch suited us perfectly, and the owner is doing a lovely job of restoring and improving it – highly recommend! The aforementioned note asked us to pardon their progress (“As you can tell, we are still working on the old gal…”). (Rose Dale Farm, approx. $135 per night, 1577 East Main Street, 870-634-7100).
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An alternative option is The Inn at Piggott (formerly The Downtown Inn) on the square in the 1925 Bank of Piggott ($80 – $105, 193 West Main Street, 870.598.8888).
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Our main purpose in visiting Piggott was to attend a Spring Writers’ Retreat at the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum & Educational Center, an Arkansas Heritage Site operated by Arkansas State University. The retreat (read more about it in this post) was excellent and the HPMEC runs many other worthy events, but there is plenty to explore in and around Piggott without such an excuse for visiting.
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There were several places to eat – a Mexican restaurant (Los Compadres) and a pizza place (Front Street Pizza) just off Main Street suited our needs), and the downtown square has several quaint shops (be sure to check out Feather Your Nest) and interesting buildings worth soaking in if you’re so inclined.
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Hemingway’s tie to this Arkansas town was his 1927 marriage (and prior visits) to second wife Pauline Pfeiffer, whose family moved from St. Louis to Piggott in 1910. The Museum & Educational Center weaves the story of their life together, as well as the (possibly more riveting) history of the Paul & Mary (Downey) Pfeiffer Family.
Clockwise: Paul Pfeiffer’s desk, the Paul & Mary Pfeiffer home, the barn where Hemingway wrote portions of A Farewell to Arms, Matilda & Karl Pfeiffer home.
Hemingway wrote much of A Farewell to Arms (published 1929) in the barn on the Pfeiffer property. The HPMEC employs a wonderful, passionate team of docents and a dedicated director in Adam Long, and it is well worth taking the time to enjoy a thorough tour of the Pfeiffer home, barn and other highlights of the property.
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Just adjacent is the Matilda & Karl Pfeiffer Museum and Study Center in a beautiful 1930s Tudor home, which houses an extensive collection of minerals, geodes and Native American specimens. The museum, library and beautiful grounds are well worth a visit, and the property was featured in the 1957 film A Face in the Crowd starring Andy Griffith and Patricia Neal. Additional information on the area is available from the Piggott Chamber of Commerce and the Arkansas Delta Byways regional tourism organization.
Planning a visit? Save a copy of my Foursquare List which includes all the must-visit spots in Piggott!
We are so very grateful for the wonderful article about our little town! We are very proud of her!
We do hope that you will return again!
Thank you for the kind words, Tonya! Don’t worry, I absolutely will be back soon. 🙂 Consider me an ongoing ambassador for Piggott in the other corner of the state!
Love Piggott, went to school there . Feather Your Nest is no longer in business, but there r other nice stores for shipping.
Thanks for the note, Teresa! Hate to hear that, but you’re right – lots of options!
Great post! As your sidekick in this adventure, you did a great job of capturing the charm and quiet sophistication of Piggott. This was one of the best road trips I’ve been on since moving to Arkansas in 2003. So much to see, do and appreciate!
Thanks, Barbara! It definitely has to make some kind of list of best road trips ever – no doubt about it! I’ve raved about Piggott to everyone who will listen ever since.
I’m gonna put Piggott on my must see list for sure – I got this link from a friend who knows all about this part of the world. I’d be coming for the Faces In The Crowd as well.
So glad to hear it! I just put up another post on the writers’ retreats in Piggott with a few more pictures. Thanks for reading!
Terrific article Beth. Thanks for sharing your experiences during your visit to one of Northeast Arkansas’s best kept secrets!
Thank you, Ruth! I agree: I’m always shocked by how few Arkansans know about the link to Hemingway, not to mention all the charms of Piggott. Kudos to you for so much hard work leading the charge on these Arkansas treasures – you’ve been inspiring me for many years!
I grew up in Dyess & Bondsville area, but never visited Piggott. Will have to explore next time I’m visiting my brother in Dyess.
Thanks for reading, Sandra! Dyess is actually high on my list – I hoped to visit on this last adventure but didn’t quite make it. I’m intrigued by all the work around the Johnny Cash home and hope it has brought positive attention to Dyess!
What was the original name of Piggott
Hi Bob! To the best of my knowledge, the town has always been called Piggott (according to the history posted by the chamber of commerce). There was apparently some discussion of calling it Huston or Throgmore, but neither materialized. You can read the entire history here – it’s quite interesting! https://www.piggott.net/~pchamber/web_files/page0003.htm
Thanks for reading,
Beth
Piggott holds a lot of old interesting stories. My mother grew up in the delta and Piggott was the closet time. A lot my relatives relocated in Michigan to work for the car factory or St. Louis. The crops were cotton and rice. In Piggott, school would be in shifts so the children could help pick, chop and plant cotton. If yoy visit in September you can see the cotton in these huge stacks. I am very lucky to be able to call my hone away from home. My parents resting
place. The Piggott cemetery is extremely beautiful. My memories of home made ice cream, the night air blowing in the window of my grandmother’s house and the over flow of relatives in and out of house
I grew up in Piggott and left there in 1986. i slept in the barn at a sleep over when the Janes lived there. i used to see the hemingway boy come by our house going to town knew Karl and Matilda well. have lots of memories of the different stores around the square. i was born in 35 so many years.
So neat, Betty! Thank you for your comment – it makes me happy that you ran across this post. I can’t even tell you how much I love your reference to “the Hemingway boy.” Karl and Matilda seem absolutely intriguing. Thank you for stopping by!
I was born in Piggott in 1948. I still have alot of family in Piggott and alway go there every summer, will be going to Piggott this Oct. 24th.
I loved the article on piggott.
I’m so glad, Carolyn! Thanks for the kind words. It’s been so neat to hear from people deeply connected to this part of Arkansas – I can’t wait to go back!
Wonderful to have grown up there. Remember having scout meetings in the old Pfeiffer barn when the Janes family lived there. Good memories.
Hi Ken,
Thanks so much for visiting! What a neat memory – I have a soft spot for both scout troops and barns, so I love that you shared this! I’m not a huge TV aficionado, but I did catch a recent episode of Barnwood Builders that involved the resuscitation of an old barn for a scout troop – you might enjoy it! 🙂
Here are a couple of links:
https://litlmagpi.co/scoutbarn2
https://litlmagpi.co/scoutbarn
Thanks again for reading and commenting! 🙂