“Lowell’s passion was to give the 1930’s American village to new generations,” Rose says, and each building has a story to tell.
Many of the eclectic outdoor museum’s buildings were relocated to Davis’s farm from their original locations in Red Oak: the old Phillip’s 66 Station; Grandpa Weber’s Blacksmith Shop, where Davis’s great-grandfather was a smithy; and the General Store, which was run by Lowell’s father and was where Lowell developed his art from an early age.
Some came from other nearby locations. Relocated to Red Oak II from a few miles north, the Salem Country Church still holds interdenominational services on Sunday mornings, when you just might hear the gospel music you grew up on somewhere else ring out. On Saturday nights, locals hold musical jam sessions featuring bluegrass, country, and gospel music during their Saturday Night Pickin’ & Singin’ events. Wednesday nights there is a Bible study.
Simply driving through the town, you’ll get a sense of what it was like to grow up back then, but Rose says, the gift is in getting out of the car. “If you drive through, you’ll miss a lot,” she says. “You need to walk it to really appreciate Lowell’s artwork.” Many of his metalwork pieces are hidden from car-window view and await discovery like hidden treasures.
To really get a sense of this artist’s talent, visit Lowell’s art gallery in the Birdsong Building; it is open on demand if you ring the bell. In it, guests can purchase Lowell’s painting, prints, figurines, bronzes, and books to take a little piece of Americana home with them.
This outdoor destination makes maintaining social distance during the pandemic an easy accomplishment. Many of the buildings, today, are owned by different people, but visitors can roam the “town” from sunup to sundown—for free.
For more information about Red Oak II, visit RedOakii.com, or visit VisitCarthage.com for information about the area. If you’d like to help support Red Oak II, donations are accepted.
