Vintage Americana meets rural northeast Arkansas
Ernest Hemingway once wrote that if he couldn’t be in Paris, Piggott, Arkansas in the fall is one of the places he’d rather be. The novelist lived here with his second wife, Pauline Pfieffer, between the late 1920s and 1940, writing part of “A Farewell to Arms” during his time there. This Clay County town has the same small-town, rural vibe today that attracted Hemingway back then. Maple, gum and oak trees bathe the narrow streets in shades of yellow, orange and red in October. And agriculture is still a top industry. “If you’re a row crop farmer, this is the place to be,” says Pamela Welch, who grew up nearby and is the lead broker/owner of Mossy Oak Properties Selling Arkansas. “It’s got small town roots, and those roots are agricultural. It’s not retail, it’s not commercial, it’s land,” she says.
Indoor/outdoor recreation galore, from Piggott parks to nearby rivers
The Hemingway-Pfieffer Museum & Educational Center, on the west side of town, pays homage to the city’s most famous resident. Hemingway’s barn studio, where he did his writing, is open for tours. The main building has displays showcasing life in northeast Arkansas during the Great Depression and New Deal Eras.
The Clay County Fairgrounds, which hosts demolition derbies, rodeos and tractor pulls, is to the north. The annual Piggott Heritage Car Show, held in May, features food and festivities at the fairgrounds, and puts on a parade from there to the town square. Other recreational amenities around town include the Piggott Community Center and the Piggott Public Pool.
Heritage Park is popular for fishing. The Cash River and the St. Francis River are in the migratory path of ducks and other waterfowl, and a big driver of local tourism during hunting season. “You’re in the flyways here, so it’s normal for duck hunters to visit from Alabama, Georgia, all over,” Welch says.
Competitive prices for single-family homes
Cottages and ranch-style homes are most prevalent in Piggott, but Cape Cods, cottages, New Traditionals and farmhouses are also available. The median sale price of $137,000 is below the Paragould median of $180,000. Prices start under $100,000 for modest cottages on small lots and rise to about $750,000 for large New Traditionals with dozens of acres of land. Clay County, in the Dixie Alley region, is vulnerable to tornadoes.
Piggott School District offers small class sizes and dual enrollment
The Piggott School District earns a C from Niche. It serves nearly 800 students with a 10-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Preschool through sixth graders attend Piggott Elementary, which gets a C-plus grade. Older students go to Piggott High, which gets a C and offers dual enrollment courses in partnership with Three Rivers College and Black River Technical College. Arkansas allows inter-district school choice.
Shopping and dining in Piggott town square and on Main Street
Local businesses, such as Old Franklin Theater Antique Mall & Flea Market and Malin Furniture & Appliance, fill the town square, surrounding the Clay County Courthouse. Hen House Café, off Court Street, is a popular coffee shop and breakfast spot next to Piggott Diner, a vintage-inspired American eatery. Main Street has more shopping and dining options, from DG Market and Harps to Los Compadres Mexican Restaurant and Hardee’s.
Piggott Community Hospital and highway access nearby
Piggott Community Hospital, a top local employer, is on the northwest side of town within a couple miles of most homes. U.S. Route 62 connects north to St. Francis and Missouri; U.S. Route 49 runs southwest to Paragould, over 30 miles away. Black River Area Development, or BRAD, provides bus service from Piggott to Paragould, too. Little Rock is nearly 200 miles away.
