The entity that operates Tallahatchie Flats is an LLC partnership.
It was named Three Forks because it has three partners -
Stuart Fincher, Steve LaVere and the husband and wife team of
Billy and Aubrey Whittington - and their partnership is the outgrowth
of discussions concerning the Robert Johnson phenomenon that has
engulfed the cultural sensibilities of the Greenwood area for the last
15 years.  Also, Three Forks is the area where Robert Johnson is
known to have been poisoned and it is not far from the plot of
land selected for the venture.

The first fork is Steve LaVere, a music historian and a Grammy
award-winning record producer.  He has devoted the last 30 years to
solving the mystery of Robert Johnson.  He and his family have moved
to Greenwood from California to found and operate the Greenwood
Blues Heritage Museum & Gallery and Greenwood Heritage Tours as
well as Veronica’s – Custom Bakery and the Blue Parrot Café all of
which are housed in the historic Three Deuces Building on Howard
Street in Greenwood.  

The second fork is Stuart Fincher, who was born and raised in
Greenwood and has spent most of his working life as a carpenter and
cabinet maker.  Stuart is the person most responsible for the renovation
of the historic Three Deuces Building in Greenwood and has provided
much of the direction involved in the restoration and renovation of the
various structures at Tallahatchie Flats.

The third fork is Billy & Aubrey Whittington and it is on their land
that the Tallahatchie Flats are situated.  Aubrey, has been instrumental
in the acquisition of most of the structures as well as their overall
appearance, both inside and out, and keeps the others focused on
historical detail.  Billy has also done a great deal more of the day to
day oversight than he ever expected, but without his dedication and
diligence there would be no Tallahatchie Flats.

Steve LaVere and Stuart Fincher became associates and friends during
the demolition and renovation of 222 Howard Street and as the first
phase of that job was nearing completion, LaVere became enchanted
with the idea of creating a venture similar in scope to that of The Shack
Up Inn near Clarksdale.  He took the idea to both Stuart and Billy
Whittington and they received it with interest.  After a couple or three
years that included contemplation, land surveys, assessment and
reassessment, the present location was finally selected and old tenant
houses were sought for removal to the site for refurbishment,
restoration and renovation.

Of course, a lot more money was spent than was ever anticipated,
but the result, which is still a work in progress – and probably always
will be – is something in which the entire community of Greenwood
can be proud.    The Tallahatchie Flats are both a living museum and a
working motor court (the predecessor to the modern motel) and we
sincerely hope you like them, too.