"The Homesman," starring Tommy Lee Jones and Hilary Swank, with John Lithgow, Hailee Steinfeld and Meryl Streep, did most of its filming in New Mexico, but some key scenes took place in Historic Westville, a living history museum in the tiny southwest Georgia town of Lumpkin, about 150 miles south of downtown Atlanta.
Here's a clip from the movie:
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During our brief interview to talk about the movie, Jones was characteristically gruff, but grew temporarily giddy when discussing the unique property, where historically significant buildings including a church, a general store, a cotton gin, a school, a wagon shop, a cobbler and numerous homes are laid out like a little town dating to the 1850s — perfect for the movie.
“It was wonderful,” he said. “When we found out about that historical village in Georgia it was a lifesaver for us. We were very lucky to find that village.”
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Local resident Gail Lynch spent some time on the set and helped prepare a meal that Jones' character ate in one scene.
“The cast really enjoyed Westville and Lumpkin and were so appreciative,” she said.
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
“The Homesman,” set in the 1830s Midwest, set up shop there for about a month, although the actual filming was completed in about a week. We won’t give away any plot twists other than to say Jones, Streep and Steinfeld appear in the scenes filmed there.
"My friend Sara Singer has a beautiful wildflower garden and provided flowers in the house Meryl Streep's character lived in," Lynch said proudly.
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Westville is named for Col. John West, who started a collection of historic buildings at his Jonesboro home in 1928 and christened it "Fair of 1850." After he died in 1961, a group of Columbus and Stewart County citizens established Westville Village in 1966, "on land donated by the Julian Singer family of Lumpkin," according to the facility.
“The Village was laid out in the county seat grid pattern of such area towns as Blakely, Hamilton, Buena Vista, Cuthbert, Lumpkin, Americus, and Talbotton,” Westville’s historical documents note. What started as a collection of six buildings has grown to more than 30 buildings on 83 acres of land.
The property is a filmmaker's dream and a delight for history buffs. Tour guide Gillian Wong showed us around the other day and pointed out interesting historical facts including the unique former denizens of this building:
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Westville announced last year that it eventually plans to move to Columbus, but “will continue to operate as normal in Lumpkin while the staff and board undertake a capital campaign to underwrite the costs of the move, finalize interpretive plans, and have the new site prepared.”
For now, it’s located just a stone’s throw from the Stewart County Courthouse in the center of the Lumpkin town square.
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Plan your visit! Historic Westville, at 9294 Singer Pond Road in Lumpkin, is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors 65 and older, military personnel and college students with ID; $5 for children in kindergarten through 12th grade and free for children younger than that. Costumed docents provide informative tours through the property starting at 15 past the hour. Pets are not allowed. See westville.org for full details.
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