The Yard McKinney is a family-owned and operated restaurant that opened in the Fall of 2018.
The main house is a historic home that was originally built in 1855 by The Abbott family. Dr. Abbott was a physician in Downtown McKinney and also owned the local drugstore on the square. The Abbott family sold the property to The Pearson family before the turn of the century. Much like Dr. Abbott, Dr. Pearson owned and operated a dental practice on the downtown square as well. The Pearson's gave a share of the property to their in-laws, James Madison & Maggie Pearson.
James Madison Pearson was elected mayor of McKinney and served from 1893 to 1903 while he was living on the property. Pearson street in Downtown McKinney was eventually named in his honor. Mayor Pearson was instrumental in the McKinney's early infrastructure while in office, and built McKinney's first city park, installed the first water and sewer system, constructed the first public school and implemented the first set of building codes. Following his tenure as Mayor of McKinney he went on to become a District Judge in Collin County. The house and property remained in the family throughout his lifetime.
In the late 1990's the main house was converted into a restaurant. It operated as several different family-owned restaurant concepts until 2016. 33 Restaurant Group took over the property in 2016 with the intent of creating a backyard gathering place for all of McKinney to eat, drink and play in the backyard. At that time the main house underwent almost two years of construction to maintain the historic integrity of the space, while updating the landscape and feel of the yard. In September 2018, The Yard opened with an updated main house, a brand new backyard building, The Yard Bar, and a beautifully landscaped property nestled under the 100 year old pecan trees that date back to the time Dr. Abbott and his family built the main house.