Flock Together: Birdhouse Collector Suzie Cranston
Chances are that you already know exactly which house is Suzie Cranston’s – the one at 1016 Avondale Street in Fondren.
In the heart of Fondren, Suzie Cranston's home defies conventional landscaping.
A white picket fence encircles a yard studded with birdhouses - nearly a hundred architectural miniatures that speak to her singular vision. Inside, her living room continues the theme: pink and green, with her most cherished birdhouse perched near the sofa, its placement as deliberate as a curator's careful arrangement.
"If you love it, put it everywhere!" she declares, her enthusiasm infectious.
Her yard is a memorial and a canvas. A precise replica of her childhood Greenville home stands among the collection, distinguished by a small figurine of a boy riding a turtle, a whimsical detail that captures her imaginative spirit.
Turtles, in fact, are as prevalent as the birdhouses - embedded in stepping stones, centered in the birdbath - a quiet tribute to her son Peck, who passed away decades ago.
Friend Doug Turner became her primary collaborator, crafting architectural replicas, including miniature churches that now populate her landscape. His work prompted her friend Jane Brock to observe wryly, "You have so many churches in your yard that I stop by and pray."
Artists have been drawn to this eccentric space.
Cleta Ellington dubbed it "Fondren Bird Village" in her painting. Wyatt Waters immortalized it twice, once with the cheeky title "To Kill A Mockingbird" - a nod to Cranston's prowling cat that adds a touch of local humor to the artistic narrative.
"You couldn't do this anywhere else," she says with a knowing smile. "Only Fondren lets us be as eclectic as we want to be."
Though her birdhouses rarely host actual birds, they stand as a testament to creativity, memory, and unbridled self-expression.
© Find It In Fondren
