Press release
Deep in the heart of Chandler, near the railroad tracks crossing, off of South Broad Street/FM 315 S sits what many who have visited call ‘Chandler’s Best Kept Secret.’ What is the secret? It is the Old Main Street Station on West Main Street, directly behind What-A-Burger. A row of quaint little stores that include Rip’s BBQ, Stillwater Farm Market Store, Stillwater Dairy Shop, Daydream Attic and Generations Beauty Salon make up the Old Main Street Station.
Stan Copeland owns the property, and Stillwater Farm Market Store and Stillwater Farm Dairy Shop. Ronda Cade is the property manager, and oversees the two Stillwater stores. The idea for developing a ‘shopping plaza’ on the old Main Street was something Copeland had dreamed of for years. A native of Chandler, Copeland, who is a minister in Dallas, wanted to see his community grow, while building on the community’s rich heritage of being a community bonded by faith, family and pride.
In November of 2016, grand opening celebrations were held for Rip’s BBQ, Stillwater Farm Market and Day Dream Attic. Later, Generations moved in, and in May of 2017, the Stillwater Farm Dairy Shop opened.
Ronda Cade looks around the property and her eyes shine with passion as she talks about each detail of the project, shares about the products in the Stillwater Farm Market Store and Stillwater Farm Dairy Shop and sorts through produce. “We wanted our community to have something they could be proud of. Every product that goes in the store and every piece of produce we check it out and make sure that it is quality.”
According to Cade, Copeland had a three-part plan when developing the Old Main Street Station project. There is an automatic ice machine stand, the farmer’s market venue and the shops. “It was a three part plan really – first the ice, then the market, and now the shops,” Copeland pointed to the newly constructed brick building directly adjacent to the farmer’s market venue.
“This area here was once the central commerce for Chandler. There were two cotton gins, three tomato packing sheds, a movie theater and a mercantile. My great-great grandfather had a grocery store, and my grandfather had a drug store here,” Stan Copeland said, and added, “and what they have done at the Chandler Feed & Seed and Wade’s Place is real encouraging.”
Stillwater Farm Market and Stillwater Dairy Shop are open Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Friday-Saturday 10 a.m. -7 p.m.