Westville

We went on field trip with our homeschool group to a place called Westville.

Westville is an outdoor history museum which depicts an 1850 village. It was created so that you can experience a community in the twenty-first century similar to the ones in which our ancestors lived in the middle of the nineteenth century. You are able to see where the antebellum townspeople worshipped, voted, and went to school. They have over thirty authentically restored and furnished pre-Civil War buildings: houses, stores, workshops, churches, school, and courthouse. In fact, it has all the ingredients of a functioning town.* this info was taken in part from their website

One of our guides giving us a lesson about schools in the 1850's.

One of the many shops in the village.

This is M with her friend, E. Aren't they just so cute :)

E with her friend, R.

B in one of the mills.

S in the cotton mill

1850's cabin

They learned a little more about cotton. The following is the mill and a worker demonstrating the cotton gin.

We learned that people swept their yards like this. If you had grass, you were considered lazy!

S making candles.

Courthouse

Beautiful church set on a hill.

This was spinning wheel was brought over from Germany by the mother-in-law of one of the store keepers. This was the only possession that she brought with her as she traveled to America in 1830.

Pottery

An original sign that was in a lawyers office.

It really was a great day. The kids had so much fun being together and even learning a little more about life in the mid 1800's. It really is amazing the little things that they picked up on...they were "doing school" without even knowing it :)