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Westville
has over thirty pre-Civil War buildings, from log cabins to a large, two-story
structures. You can see evidence of the old building techniques firsthand.
Most of the logs and boards were sawn from old-growth heart pine, trees
that were often several hundred years old when cut.
These
rugged trees were common in the 1850s but are now very scarce. The timbers
in the log cabins and other buildings still show the hewing marks of the
builder's broadax as he squared the log. And the wide boards on the frame
buildings were planed by hand. Boards are secured with old rectangular
nails, rather than our modern round type. The town blacksmith can show
you how these were made.
Look
in the window panes and you'll see bubbles, a result of handmade glass.
The chimneys in the cabins are usually made of brown fieldstone or white
limestone, the most common stones in this area. Chimneys of the board-frame
buildings are generally brick.
You
might have thought that all homes and shops in this period were painted
white, but the original paint found on our old board-frame buildings shows
that various colors were used. These buildings have been repainted to
match the original hues.
You'll
find the shops of a blacksmith, potter, boot maker and cabinet maker,
as well as a general store and doctor's office. Often you'll be able to
actually see our artisans turn out their products using the same tools
and techniques of the 1850s. Many of these handmade items can be purchased
at the general store.
Step
inside our old church and sit on the handmade pews. When you visit the
camp-meeting shelter you'll see where people gathered for preaching, witnessing
and hymn singing, often for ten days at a stretch. Our volunteers at the
schoolhouse will be glad to tell you all about learning before the Civil
War. And Westville's large courthouse served for many years as the courthouse
for Chattahoochee County. This building was dedicated by President Jimmy
Carter in 1976. Read more about the Chattahoochee County Courthouse in
the March 2003 Newsletter
(.pdf).
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