April 1, 2021 FridayMusings is your source for what we love about Livonia
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The typewriter is returning
to his family roots saying
it is time to move on.
After 61 years of the Joyner family living in Livonia, the typewriter is announcing with a heavy heart that I am returning to the original home of the Joyner family, Farmville North Carolina. Home to the Joyners for over 171 years.
With North Carolina having recently adopted the legal production, not the sale, but the production of marijuana I will be working to transform the Joyner tobacco land, approximately 1,900 acres, to the growth and development of marijuana. The law allows for the develop 53% of tobacco property for marijuana planting.
I have recently purchased a historic home, a home well over 130 years old, and am in the process of minor renovation, moving some of the modern fixtures and replacing them with period pieces from the 1910s. Interestingly enough I have numerous pieces here in Livonia that date from between 1890 and 1932. In addition to the furniture, I am in procession of original China owned by my grandmother and grandfather when they married in 1915.
The growing permit has just been approved allowing for the first planting this September.
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The New Musings Estate in North Carolina
The national register of historic places located just blocks from downtown Farmville offers a great description for this home: the Joseph Warren Parker house, brick veneered, double-pile, center hall plan Neoclassical revival house with the slate hip roof; five-bay facade spanned by monumental tetrastyle Doric portico with banded frieze and roof balustrade; one-story porch on west elevation echoed by porte-cochere on the east; one-story rear wings flank small porch; main and east entrances have transoms and crossette pattern sidelights; built for Joseph Warren Parker, a local merchant, and farmer, who also served as a town alderman.
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A Short History
of Farmville,
the new home
for the typewriter
The area surrounding the current Town of Farmville was first settled in the mid-1760s. These early settlers were few in numbers and were almost exclusively farmers by trade. The first recorded structure inside the current town limits was a log cabin erected about 1840. In the 1850s a church and a school were built, however, growth was quite slow up through the end of the 1860s.
In 1872 the populace petitioned the North Carolina legislature to create a town named Farmville. Prior to this time the community had no formal name and was generally referred to as New Town. The Town of Farmville was formally incorporated on February 12, 1872. During the last quarter of the 19th century, the town developed as a small commercial center supporting the agricultural expansion of the region brought about by the boom in Brightleaf Tobacco cultivation.
The picture shown above is of the Farmville Tobacco Market circa 1950-1959. Copyright held by Joyner Library at East Carolina University. http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/4232
The first quarter of the 20th century was a period of incredible growth for Farmville. The period 1901 to 1907 saw the arrival of two railroads, providing cost-effective transportation outlets and bringing about an expansion of agribusiness support services.
The period 1905 to 1929 saw the establishment of a number of large tobacco sales, processing, and warehousing operations. Tobacco sales, processing, and warehousing, as well as, agribusiness support services continued to be of primary importance to Farmville’s growth and stability up through the late 1960s.
With the decline of the tobacco industry beginning in the early 1970s, Farmville began an aggressive campaign to diversify its commercial and industrial base.
Although agribusiness support continues to be an important part of Farmville, industrial, commercial and residential diversification continues to be the course on which this community of approximately 4800 residents is proceeding.
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The typewriter expects to renew his love of golf at the Farmville Country Club walking distance from downtown and just blocks from the new Musings Estate.
As a child not a single visit to Farmville would take place without 18 holes with cousin Jimmy. Hope they have golf carts now.
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People often ask me about why I am always referencing Farmville. Simple. Just one hour east of the state capital Raleigh, one hour west of the Outer Banks, my favorite island of Ocracoke and 4 hours from my idea of the cultural center of North Carolina, Ashville. |
The typewriter is geared up for the April 27- 30 Farmville Dogwood Festival complete with Kona Ice and roasted corn.
Sound familiar? Just like the Livonia Good Old Fashioned Neighborhood Corn Roast with corn and Kona Ice.
Now if only I can arrange to have my Once in a while, occasional, maybe this year, or when I feel like it Bake Sale.
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Again Livonia is setting the pace for creative parks and recreation activities. Starting May 1st a new co-ed t-ball league will kick off with Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. She will actually do a ceremonial first swing.
The t-ball league will open only for those over 75 and is intended for those who still have a love for baseball but need to have a little help.
The league is still looking for student volunteers to run the bases for the batters.
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Taking the lead for the creative approach by the Ford Motor Company that has converted a part of the Fairlane Town Center into office space making the retail hub’s biggest tenant Ford Motor Co. the City of Livonia has moved to start negotiations with Laurel Park to lease/buy 150,000 square feet to move the Livonia City Hall.
In a memo recently reviewed by FridayMusings anonymously sent to the Musings Estate, it has been learned that by moving all city hall employees and services it paves the way to tear down the existing building and start the process of creating a walkable downtown complete with an open-air music venue, retail with loft apartments, and other amenities that define a downtown.
The memo underscores that the negotiations are in the early stages but that soon the details will find their way to City Council for final approval.
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The Good Old Fashioned Corn Roast entertainment continues to expand |
Having started piano lessons at the age of eight the typewriter is honing the skillset necessary to host a piano recital.
During the Good Old Fashioned Corn Roast I will be playing for the first 15 minutes of every hour, 12:15, 1:15, 2:15, and 3:15 on the Greenmead Village square.
"I am looking for my first concert in years. I am working on a number of songs that will have an acoustic guitar playing along.
"I have a very special guitarist lined up and will announce very soon."
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Several years ago the typewriter announced that he was married to his kindergarten girlfriend, Louis, from Decatur Georgia. It was not true and when reading all the way through that issue of FridayMusings it was discovered that the announcement was being published on a special day. April 1st. It was April Fool's Day.
All I can suggest today is that you check out the date that today's Musings is being published. It is April 1st. Sorry, but you will still have the typewriter around for many more years to come.
In the meantime see you on April 7 when the Easter time off will find the typewriter typing again. That's right I am taking April 2 and April 5 off. And that is not April Fools.
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