Chestnut Square has surpassed 50 years of operations in East McKinney.

Representatives of Chestnut Square will host a celebration for the 50th anniversary of the organization May 2. The “Boogie Wonderland” themed event will feature food and beverages, raffles, tours of historic homes in the organization’s Heritage Village and more, according to its website.

The details

The Heritage Guild of Collin County, which oversees the Heritage Village at Chestnut Square, was established in 1974 through an initiative by a group of local women to “preserve a sample of McKinney’s historic heritage,” according to the organization’s website.

The first meeting of the guild was held Feb. 5, 1974. The guild purchased the first historic buildings on the property, the Delaney house and cottage, using funds from the first Christmas tour of homes, an event that the organization has continued to host.


The organization later added additional historic homes and facilities to the 2.5 acre Heritage Village property on Chestnut Street. The site also is also home to a collection of historical artifacts, according to its website.

Chestnut Square now hosts the weekly McKinney Farmers Market and also offers spaces for weddings and events on the grounds. The organization also offers:
  • Educational walking tours of the Heritage Village
  • Trolley tours of Historic Downtown McKinney
  • Prairie Adventure Camps for children
  • Various annual events including the Holiday Tour of Homes and the Legends of McKinney Ghost Walk
Diving deeper

The organization appointed a new director, DeAnna Stone, earlier this year following the retirement of former director Jaymie Pedigo.

Stone, a former director with North Texas Performing Arts, said the role interested her because of the opportunity to tell the story of Chestnut Square.


“Being that I'm a theater director and I love storytelling, ... there is no better way than to tell an authentic story like Chestnut Square,” she said. “It's an amazing, historical, authentic story of great integrity and it's one that everybody should hear about, especially if you're in McKinney.”

Stone said she plans to continue investing in preserving the Heritage Village facilities while also growing the organization.

“I just want to tell this story to more people so that we get the support and the membership base and the donors and the volunteers that will get connected and rally around to help us tell that story,” she said.