‘Vicksburg’s Crown Jewel’: Caldwell, Reeds partner to revitalize Cedar Grove

Published 7:36 pm Friday, April 1, 2022

Cedar Grove, the ca. 1840 home of John Alexander Klein, has officially been purchased by Harley Caldwell and Steven and Kendra Reed, with plans to restore the home to its former glory.

In the coming months, Vicksburg residents and visitors alike can expect to see the property and its five buildings working alive with craftsmen and contractors as the restoration process gets underway. According to Caldwell, the plan is to welcome guests to the home once again.

“Our goal is to clean up, get it back online and start having overnight guests,” she said. “It had a very popular restaurant, and we are currently interviewing regional restaurants to come here and open at Cedar Grove.

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“We hope to get somebody really good,” she added. “We’re better off with no restaurant than a bad restaurant.”

While the restoration and renovation process will take months, Caldwell said the end result will be worth it. She also said, after research, that she and Reed intend to focus efforts on the property’s historic buildings specifically. Two original buildings on the property are the pool house, a smaller structure where the Klein family stayed during construction; and the main house itself.

During a private reception hosted by the new owners Friday evening, Kendra Reed said the thing she enjoys most about the home is the memories attached to it.

“I’m so excited to see people in this house. It’s the people that make it so special,” she said. “And what I love most is the Vicksburgers’ support. Everyone here has told me how they got married here, or know someone who got married here, or they honeymooned here or ate at the restaurant.

“It’s such an important property to the people of Vicksburg, and we want to make it something people are proud of, and something they want to share with their guests when they come to town as well,” Reed added.

The property will start out with five guest rooms, and eventually expand to 26 rooms.