Wanting to learn a little local history of Holly Springs, Mississippi, we headed to the Audubon Center due to its unique setting. The Antebellum Davis House (1851) was built by Ebenezer and Martha Davis.  They called the house and the surrounding grounds “Strawberry Plains", due to the abundance of wild strawberries on the vast plantation.

In the 1970s, Davis descendants Ruth Finley and Margaret Finley Shackelford restored the Davis House to its original condition.  In 1998, the Finley family willed the Davis House and the entire Strawberry Plains plantation to the National Audubon Society who created a 3,000 acre nature and wildlife center.  The restored Davis House remains the historical centerpiece of Strawberry Plains and a very interesting place at which to begin our day.