by Claudia Johnson
For several years now America has been experiencing a renewed interest in things Victorian, and Giles County has followed that trend. Downtown building owners are consistently restoring facades to their former Victorian charm; young couples are buying and restoring the still affordable Victorian houses; store window displays periodically show lacy white dresses for women, white collared, striped shirts for gentlemen and nautical children’s frocks. Reproduction jewelry, decorations and household appointments as well as authentic Victorian furniture can be found in local gift, floral and antique shops. Every magazine rack has a least one of the many Victorian magazines available
Victorian buildings, including residences, house a variety of businesses. The post-office and courthouse are as beautiful and functional as at their completion near the end of the American Victorian period. All of Pulaski’s National Register Historic Districts are comprised mainly of Victorian buildings, and the whole Victorian town of Lynnville is on the Register, too.
Finally, Pulaski’s time has come-architecturally, for sure, but perhaps aesthetically and culturally as well. Victoria was the Queen of England from 1837-1901, but that has nothing to do with America and certainly not Pulaski. In fact, even British sources admit that Victoria, the person, and Victoria, the period, are only loosely related. The American Victorian period started after the Civil War and did not really end until the end of World War I. What, then, is Victorian? A way of dressing, building, thinking. It was a mindset, really, and around a hundred years ago Pulaski had it.
The Civil War was over. The railroad was catalyst for development of new towns-New Lynnville, Ardmore, Buford Station, Wales, Frankewing and others. The county’s third governor, John C. Brown, was elected during this period. Horse and buggy or horseback was the primary means of transportation in Victorian Giles County, with only the wealthiest having cars and only near the end of the era. Privately owned toll roads lead out of the county in every direction, offering easier access to other places. Those roads led into the county as well, bringing traveling performers, circuses, lectures, political candidates and soldier’s reunions.
Pulaski was growing with the development of such areas the East Highland-McCallum Addition east of town and the Martin College area Hart Addition. Excellent builders and land developers such as J. M. Patterson and Sons, John Gladish, George Tillery, Rev. T. E. Hudson, Gabriel McKissack and Joe Patterson were making it happen. New houses were lighted with gas after 1892, and simple fixtures could be ordered from Sears, Roebuck, and Co. for $1.50, while the most elaborate brass and stained glass ones were $4.70.
Dozens of churches of all denominations were scattered throughout the county, with many of these offering intellectual and social stimulation as well as religious. Free public education became available in 1885 to all local children through high school age, and private schools were still in operation several places in the county. Martin College had been in operation since the 1870’s.
After the War, most work opportunities were in agriculture, and several mills in rural areas were still in operation producing flour, meal, wood products, even gunpowder. After a typhoid epidemic at Bodenham, a casket company started manufacturing newfangled wooden coffins with a window for viewing the dead. By 1898 Bennet-May Co., one of the town’s earliest remaining businesses, could have organized the funeral. Several buggy businesses operated here including the one for which Tarpley Shop is named.
The country had the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers, and Pulaski had Thomas Martin, Gov. Brown, Angenol Cox, James Sumpter, Nobel Smithson, W. F. Ballentine, Ben Carter and J. D. Flautt.
For entertainment, the Victorians attended plays, the opera or musical reviews at Antoinette Hall, the old Opera House, which opened in 1868. Performing was so popular there were at least four local groups: Little Theater Group, Pulaski Amateur Club, the Ben Johnson Club, and Clifford Patterson’s Minstrel Show.
Beginning in 1912 the Red Path Chatauqua, a summer lyceum program from New York, brought humorists, magicians, popular music, speakers and other entertainment to Pula
ski, all under a huge tent.
The biggest crowds turned out for circuses and the accompanying parades. Even Barnum and Bailey played here.
Three Confederate reunions were held in Pulaski: In 1885 Gov. Brown lead them to the fairgrounds for speeches and dinner; in 1898 they were entertained at the Opera House; and on Oct. 11, 1906, the local United Daughters of the Confederacy unveiled their statue of Sam Davis to the State Conference of Confederate Veterans.
Since Victorian novels were often published in monthly magazine installments, book and magazine clubs were organized for ladies to discuss them. The Magazine Club, organized in 1891 is still meeting today. Men and women alike enjoyed sporting events at the park, walking in the cemeteries on Sunday afternoons, taking picnics into the country, debating about current events or the latest inventions, bicycling, and vacationing at mineral springs.
Pulaski had telephone service in the latter part of the era, but engraved invitations were usually mailed or hand delivered for parties at one’s home. Home sewing machines enabled ladies to create their own dresses, or they could shop for dry goods on the public square at a variety of shops. A graphaphone was available from Sears for $7.50 for the serious party-giver.
Like most people, Giles Countians were interested in learning, worshipping, working and having fun, and the Victorian era provided opportunity for all pursuits.
Victorian buildings, including residences, house a variety of businesses. The post-office and courthouse are as beautiful and functional as at their completion near the end of the American Victorian period. All of Pulaski’s National Register Historic Districts are comprised mainly of Victorian buildings, and the whole Victorian town of Lynnville is on the Register, too.
Finally, Pulaski’s time has come-architecturally, for sure, but perhaps aesthetically and culturally as well. Victoria was the Queen of England from 1837-1901, but that has nothing to do with America and certainly not Pulaski. In fact, even British sources admit that Victoria, the person, and Victoria, the period, are only loosely related. The American Victorian period started after the Civil War and did not really end until the end of World War I. What, then, is Victorian? A way of dressing, building, thinking. It was a mindset, really, and around a hundred years ago Pulaski had it.
The Civil War was over. The railroad was catalyst for development of new towns-New Lynnville, Ardmore, Buford Station, Wales, Frankewing and others. The county’s third governor, John C. Brown, was elected during this period. Horse and buggy or horseback was the primary means of transportation in Victorian Giles County, with only the wealthiest having cars and only near the end of the era. Privately owned toll roads lead out of the county in every direction, offering easier access to other places. Those roads led into the county as well, bringing traveling performers, circuses, lectures, political candidates and soldier’s reunions.
Pulaski was growing with the development of such areas the East Highland-McCallum Addition east of town and the Martin College area Hart Addition. Excellent builders and land developers such as J. M. Patterson and Sons, John Gladish, George Tillery, Rev. T. E. Hudson, Gabriel McKissack and Joe Patterson were making it happen. New houses were lighted with gas after 1892, and simple fixtures could be ordered from Sears, Roebuck, and Co. for $1.50, while the most elaborate brass and stained glass ones were $4.70.
Dozens of churches of all denominations were scattered throughout the county, with many of these offering intellectual and social stimulation as well as religious. Free public education became available in 1885 to all local children through high school age, and private schools were still in operation several places in the county. Martin College had been in operation since the 1870’s.
After the War, most work opportunities were in agriculture, and several mills in rural areas were still in operation producing flour, meal, wood products, even gunpowder. After a typhoid epidemic at Bodenham, a casket company started manufacturing newfangled wooden coffins with a window for viewing the dead. By 1898 Bennet-May Co., one of the town’s earliest remaining businesses, could have organized the funeral. Several buggy businesses operated here including the one for which Tarpley Shop is named.
The country had the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers, and Pulaski had Thomas Martin, Gov. Brown, Angenol Cox, James Sumpter, Nobel Smithson, W. F. Ballentine, Ben Carter and J. D. Flautt.
For entertainment, the Victorians attended plays, the opera or musical reviews at Antoinette Hall, the old Opera House, which opened in 1868. Performing was so popular there were at least four local groups: Little Theater Group, Pulaski Amateur Club, the Ben Johnson Club, and Clifford Patterson’s Minstrel Show.
Beginning in 1912 the Red Path Chatauqua, a summer lyceum program from New York, brought humorists, magicians, popular music, speakers and other entertainment to Pula
ski, all under a huge tent.The biggest crowds turned out for circuses and the accompanying parades. Even Barnum and Bailey played here.
Three Confederate reunions were held in Pulaski: In 1885 Gov. Brown lead them to the fairgrounds for speeches and dinner; in 1898 they were entertained at the Opera House; and on Oct. 11, 1906, the local United Daughters of the Confederacy unveiled their statue of Sam Davis to the State Conference of Confederate Veterans.
Since Victorian novels were often published in monthly magazine installments, book and magazine clubs were organized for ladies to discuss them. The Magazine Club, organized in 1891 is still meeting today. Men and women alike enjoyed sporting events at the park, walking in the cemeteries on Sunday afternoons, taking picnics into the country, debating about current events or the latest inventions, bicycling, and vacationing at mineral springs.
Pulaski had telephone service in the latter part of the era, but engraved invitations were usually mailed or hand delivered for parties at one’s home. Home sewing machines enabled ladies to create their own dresses, or they could shop for dry goods on the public square at a variety of shops. A graphaphone was available from Sears for $7.50 for the serious party-giver.
Like most people, Giles Countians were interested in learning, worshipping, working and having fun, and the Victorian era provided opportunity for all pursuits.
1 comment:
As a descendant of several Pulaski residents and great grandfathers who served in the civil war, I am interested in the photo on the left of the gentlemen who I expect are soldiers from the civil war. What year was this photo taken and do you have any names of these soldiers?
Thank you,
Judy (Bunch-Whitley) Fox
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