April 3, 1954
In 1936, Mason opened Mason’s Farm, a 169-acre nightclub, restaurant, and resort that became a popular place to see jazz artists like saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. “I want to do something for my people,” Mason told the Call and Post. “I want to make this farm a place where they can relax and enjoy themselves. I want to provide a place for them comparable to similar places for other Races.” The newspaper described a renovation to Mason’s Farm in 1942 and concluded: “In this beautiful building, the fine riding horses, the comfortable cabin, in Coleman Hawkins...in the beautiful picnic woods, and the reasonable prices charged for these things, we think Benny Mason’s dream has materialized.”