WHAT'S GOING ON
Upcoming Events
Annual Mother's Day Tea - Reservations RequiredSat, May 10Bridgeville
Opening Day: The Working 18th-Century FarmSun, Apr 06Woodville Experience
Clean Up Day, Tent Raising & Attic SaleSat, Mar 29Woodville Experience
AMERICAN HISTORY
Woodville’s Role in the Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by the newly formed federal government. The "whiskey tax" became law in 1791, and was intended to generate revenue to pay the war debt incurred during the Revolutionary War. Farmers of the western frontier were accustomed to distilling their surplus rye, barley, wheat, corn, or fermented grain mixtures to make whiskey. These farmers resisted the tax. political parties in the United States, a process already under way. The whiskey tax was repealed in the early 1800s during the Jefferson administration.
AMERICAN FRONTIER
Genealogy of Woodville
AMERICAN PLANTATION
Enslaved Population of Woodville
Woodville was home to John Neville, but it was also home to hundreds of enslaved men, women, and children who lived under his control. Their labor was essential to building and maintaining the plantation, yet they faced a life of hardship and oppression. Despite these conditions, they found ways to persevere and maintain their sense of identity and resilience.
Enslaved individuals lived in small, rough log cabins measuring about 200 square feet. Some cabins were divided into two rooms, each occupied by a different family. In many cases, up to eight people were crowded into a single room, sleeping on pallets or directly on the dirt floor.
Look who came to dinner
One of Woodville’s most celebrated historical features is its collection of diamond-etched windows. A total of 48 panes across 10 of the house’s 23 existing windows bear intricate etchings, created by scratching the glass with a diamond ring. These markings are most commonly found on the lower sections of double-hung sash windows, particularly at the front of the house—suggesting they were meant to be seen by both family members and visitors. The living room contains the highest number of etched panes, with 20 out of 96 (about 21%) featuring inscriptions or designs. However, the dining room holds the highest proportion of etched glass, with 16 out of 42 panes (approximately 38%) bearing some form of engraving. The etchings range from practice sketches to meaningful inscriptions, including dates, weather observations (e.g., “March 16, Snowing and Raining”), and poetic quotations such as: “Farewell if ever fondest prayer” “To live in the memory of those we love is not to die” “The Devil’s in the bandbox, Don’t you hear him howl?”
