The holiday season took on a distinctly small-town feel last Thursday afternoon as the Perry County Commission honored local baker Heather Wright for her eye-catching gingerbread replica of the historic Perry County Courthouse.
Wright, a stay-at-home mom and owner of Heather’s Cake Haven, is best known for her custom cakes and cookies. This year, however, she entered new territory with her first gingerbread build — a meticulously crafted courthouse with royal icing accents and detailed work that quickly drew attention.
After moving to Perryville from Fayette in March, Wright said she felt inspired by the charm of the downtown area. She described the district as “so beautiful and homey,” adding that the courthouse “looks like something right out of a Hallmark movie.” That sense of warmth and familiarity influenced her choice of subject.
Wright shared the deeper meaning behind the project in a social media post, writing, “This little gingerbread house means more to me than just a holiday project. For my first-ever gingerbread build, I wanted to create something that felt like home, so I chose the Perry County Courthouse — a place so many of us have passed by a thousand times, a piece of this small-town history, and a reminder of the community I’m grateful to be a part of.
“Fresh gingerbread, royal icing, saltine crackers for the trim, and even gum airbrushed black for the shingles. It took patience, but also so much joy. To take something familiar, something rooted in history and recreate it in sugar and spice — that felt special. Here’s to the places that shape us, the people who support us, and the simple sweetness of creating something with your own two hands.”
A self-taught baker, Wright recently discovered her passion for baking. She mothers four children, ranging in age from 11 to 6 and balances family life with managing her home-based baking business. She and her fiancé, Tristan Easley, who works at Winkler’s Plumbing, have made Perryville their new home.
Commission members thanked Wright for choosing to highlight a local landmark in such a festive and heartfelt way. Her gingerbread courthouse will be displayed throughout the holiday season in the main hallway of the Perry County Courthouse. The commission also presented Wright with a commemorative Perry County coin minted to mark the construction of the Perry County Joint Justice Center.
Reflecting on the recognition, Wright said the experience was deeply meaningful.
“My heart is so full I can hardly put it into words,” Wright said. “What started as a simple ‘let’s see if I can do this’ project has become one of the proudest moments of my life. Never in a million years did I imagine that my little gingerbread courthouse — something I poured so much love, time, and hope into — would be noticed by the City of Perryville itself.
“This morning, I woke up to a message asking to share my photos, and then another saying they would like to display my gingerbread courthouse inside the actual courthouse. To some, it might seem like a small thing. But to me, it’s everything. It’s validation. It’s gratitude. It’s a reminder that passion, heart, and hard work truly do pay off. I am humbled, I am honored, and I am so unbelievably thankful for every single person who has encouraged me, believed in me, and supported my little creations along the way. Today, my heart is overflowing.”
The public is welcome to visit and view the gingerbread display during regular courthouse hours, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
