The McRae Oak Tree Inn
This was right down the street from my grandparents home in McRae. I am too young to remember it but it does fit right into the area.
In most cafes, people may see a few plants hanging or sitting around, but having a tree in the center of the caf was quite unusual. The name of the caf was the Oak Tree Inn.
The caf was built around one of McRae s biggest oaks, 13 feet and 7 inches in circumference. The caf was run by Speedy Fuller, but the building was owned by L.P. Doc Ernest, and he had no idea the wind would cause the tree to shift, so every time it rained the roof would need to be packed around the tree. The tree caf was tremendously popular and received a great deal of business due to the oak tree. Tourists liked to take pictures of the caf .
The Oak Tree Inn was located in the middle section of McRae, the most lively part of town. Surrounding the caf were a pool hall, a beer joint and a liquor store. A great deal of commotion and fighting went on outside of the caf . A fire destroyed the building in the late 1940s and killed the tree, and it finally had to be cut down.