James Fox-Smith
The view from the Kenwood Kennon Private Park.
Anyone looking for the origins of West Feliciana parish’s hippy-bohemian aesthetic inevitably finds their way to the door—or perhaps to the tent flap—of Kenwood Kennon. Since the 1970s, Kenwood’s name has been synonymous with St. Francisville’s Shade Tree Bed & Breakfast, which sprang up like a cluster of magic mushrooms atop a wooded hill in the Historic District, in whimsical structures largely of Kenwood’s own devising. At that time Kenwood also owned a remote and gorgeous riverside property deep in the Tunica Hills named Como Landing. Como, as anyone who has been there will affirm, is one of the enchanted places—a hundred acres of grassy meadows and hardwood tracts sweeping down out of the Tunica Hills and ending in a mile of Mississippi River frontage facing the setting sun. During the late seventies, Kenwood opened Como as a commune, and many who visited during those years will recall the sight of Kenwood, a bit of a cavalier bush pilot, bringing his single-engine plane in low over the river at sunset to land in the grassy meadow that stretches along the banks of Como Bayou. Commune economics being what they are, though, Kenwood ultimately had to sell Como, and the site went through several changes of ownership before eventually being bought by Baton Rougean Charlie Cole, who has re-opened the property as a spiritual retreat. Kenwood never lost his love for Como, though, and since the sale, Charlie has guaranteed him perpetual access, particularly to a beloved campsite in a grove of trees at the spot where Como Bayou and the Mississippi meet. On quiet nights through the decades, Kenwood would return regularly to this site, to pitch a tent beneath the trees, play a tune or two on his guitar, and watch the broad waters roll on by.
Nowadays Kenwood doesn’t fly his plane anymore—or drive, for that matter, time having taken its toll. But while Kenwood’s riverside camping days are likely behind him, Charlie Cole hasn’t forgotten the promise he made to his old friend. This month, Kenwood’s longtime connection to Como will be honored when his campsite beside Como Bayou is dedicated in his name, as the Kenwood Kennon Private Park—a lasting tribute to the stewardship, friendship, and spirit of sharing that have attended Kenwood’s long tenure in St. Francisville, every step of the way.
The Kenwood Kennon Private Park Dedication will take place December 12 from 4 pm–6 pm at Como Retreat, 5000 Como Road. If you would like to attend, contact Kami Weidenbacher at (225) 301-5451 or kamirweidenbacher@gmail.com.
