I can provide some elaboration on the Homestead in Wytheville. I am the Manager of Heritage Sites/ Homestead Museum Operations flr the Town of Wytheville Department of Museums. It is short for the Willowbrook Jackson/Umberger Homestead Museum.it consists of 17 stand alone buildings and will provide education on Wythe County's early craftsmen, artisans, settlers and agriculture histories. The main feature is a brick home built by William Huffard around 1850, who was a brickmason. If you have seen the 1855 "View of Wytheville" painting by Edward Beyer, you habe seen Huffard's brickyard in the foreground. There are 5 log buildings directly behind the Huffard home that include the 1803 Henry Umbarger log cabin, smokehouse, spring house, demo stration kitchen house and a barn. This is the domestic life learbing area and will discuss early settlers lives from the 18th century to the ACW. At the far end of the property stand the woodworming, blacksmith, and gunsmith shop. This is the traditional arts and crafta demonstration area. The Huffard home will become the new decorative arts/ material culture museum and house original items made in Wythe County including rifles, pie safes, painted blanlet chests and so on. We are thrilled to have this new museum under full development. We also have an 1820s log home being constructed currently that will house ticket sales, welcome area, bookshop area, and videos to help i troduce SWVA, Wythe County, and its settlers.
Attached are photos from the property and the gunsmith shop.
