A former Golden Gloves boxer and U.S. Marine, Joe Henson joined Lowe’s Inc. in 1974 to help with construction work for Jones Is Back, a tourist attraction that sought to recreate the image of a 19th century town.
After the project was completed, Henson remained at Big Rock Valley Farms, assisting with the transformation of a large barn into the Barn House, one of two houses at BRV that Ed and Darlene Lowe lived in. (Today the Barn House is used as a guest house.) He also helped convert another barn into an office for Ed and his staff (now known as the
Heritage Center).
Joe was one of three employees in BRV’s physical resources department and worked on both grounds maintenance and carpentry projects, including installing railroad ties at the Haymarket Antiques & Designs barn, headquarters for Darlene Lowe’s interior design business and retail store. Henson was known as a “gentle giant” because of his easygoing nature and considerable stature. Darlene always joked that whenever Joe hung a mirror on his own, he placed it so high that people of average height couldn’t see themselves.