Thomasville is a combination of old traditions and new beginnings, and both are treasured by the people who live here. The downtown Historic District contains beautiful tree-lined neighborhoods, a city park that has a playground, picnic area and ball field, and two Main Streets -- one on each side of the railroad tracks.
Built around the local railway system, Thomasville is home to the oldest railroad depot in the state, just a few hundred feet from the city's most notable landmark, "The Big Chair."
Thomasville is commonly referred to as the "Chair Town" or "Chair City", in reference to a 30 foot landmark replica of a Duncan Phyfe armchair that rests in the middle of the city. The original "Big Chair" was constructed in 1922 by the Thomasville Chair Company out of lumber and Swiss steer hide to reflect the city's prominent furniture industry. This chair was scrapped in 1936 after 15 years of exposure to the weather, and in 1951 a concrete version of the chair was built, and it remains today. The Big Chair gained national attention in 1960 when then Presidential Candidate Lyndon Johnson greeted supporters on the monument during a campaign stop.
One of my favorite things about the city is that is convenient to I-85, with one exit (Exit 103) pointing you in the direction of the downtown and business district, and the other exit (Exit 102) heading toward the more rural part of Thomasville, out of the city limits, but still within a stone's throw of chain restaurants, convenience stores, banks, pharmacies, Walmart (of course!) and grocery stores.
Magnolias and rose bushes are prolific in this part of the country, and at this time of year, the air is beginning to fill with the citrus fragrance of magnolia blooms.
And I saved the best for last ... good food!!! Until I moved here, my favorite food when I dine out was shrimp and grits from a wonderful restaurant in the suburban D.C. area ... until ... I ate at Southern Sisters in Thomasville, NC. My favorite dining out dish is still shrimp and grits, but Southern Sisters gets the prize for their recipe! Wow, it's delicious and eating at this restaurant is a dining delight from the moment you walk in the door until you leave. As soon as I pass my North Carolina real estate licensing exam, this is where my husband has promised to take me for dinner to celebrate. (I already know he will be ordering their fabulous seafood platter, because he already told me!) I heard that people drive "all the way" from Greensboro to eat here (no one here really understands the concept of driving "all the way" between any 2 neighboring cities until they have driven from Fairfax to Manassas in Northern Virginia on a Friday evening during rush hour, but that's something one has to experience to understand).
"Home away from home" for my husband and me is a beautiful little house just outside the city limits of Thomasville -- not in our home state of Virginia, and not in a place where we can drop in on family and just say hello or hug our grandchildren, or have a girl's night out with my daughter -- but it is a place where we can reach any of our closest family and friends in just about the same number of hours (5 or less), no matter which direction we travel, north, south, east or west. Sometimes old has to give way to new, and this Easter was hopefully the beginnings of many happy times spent together with family gathering at our home to celebrate life, love and new beginnings, year after year.
Happy Memorial Day everyone! This weekend my husband and I are going to check out the Farmer's Market in Thomasville -- we've heard it's great and we can't wait to experience it! Be safe!!!
