History comes Alive at Callaway Historic Site in Washington GA

Springtime and warmer weather have arrived and the farmlands dotting the landscape around Historic Washington in Wilkes County GA are beginning to show signs of the growing seasons ahead. What a great time of year to shut down your electronic devices and head outdoors to enjoy the countryside and an unforgettable step back in time to our country’s early farming days.

As we look ahead to the 250^th anniversary of the founding of our great nation, here’s an inspiring way to immerse yourself in living history that will enable you to learn first-hand the agrarian lifestyle that formed the backbone of this area’s economy.

Callaway Historic Site is a living museum and a favorite among Georgia Living History events for family outings, architecture and history enthusiasts, creative educational experiences for school groups and homeschoolers and for the sheer joy of seeing our past come alive on a historic Georgia farm.

On the fourth Saturday of each month, skilled historian experts and makers from Washington GA and other areas provide representations of everyday routines and sustenance of family life during the Revolutionary War and the decades leading to the industrial revolution.

You may be able to watch historic farm demonstrations as historic reenactors and artisans tend livestock, sheer sheep, spin and dye yarns and weave the yarn into fabrics for clothing. Or you may see an authentic blacksmith create tools and implements used for farming and household use or watch potters form clay into dishes and utensils.

You may also listen in as culinary aficionados describe plants and foods that were introduced to our early farming diets… Southern cookin’ delights like okra, heritage tomatoes and black-eyed peas! This is truly an example of the original “farm to table” lifestyle and a great lesson in sustainable practices appropriate for all ages.



A Little Background.
Job Callaway built a simple log cabin in 1785 on what would eventually grow into more than 3,000 acres of farmland and cotton fields. The property today showcases seven authentic structures that represent the agrarian lifestyle of the Callaway family as it expanded over several decades.
 
The centerpiece of the farm is The Brick House, one of Georgia’s most beautiful historic houses and an impressive example of Greek Revival architecture built in 1869 from Georgia red clay.



Other structures include a log cabin similar to Job Callaway’s original homestead, the Grey House (1790), the Gilmer House (1800), the Dally Slave Cabin (1840), a one-room School House (1891) and a General Store (1930).
















Callaway Historic Site is located five miles west of Washington on Highway 78, across from Washington-Wilkes Airport. Picnic area and RV Campsites are available on site.
For more information call 706-678-7060.

Enjoy Small Town Charm.
While you’re in the area, be sure to explore Historic Downtown Washington, named by Southern Living Magazine as “one of the prettiest small towns in Georgia”. 

Washington has more than 100 antebellum and Victorian homes and historic buildings, many of which have been lovingly and carefully maintained or restored to their original beauty.

You’ll also find a charming collection of shops and antique stores around a lively town square, and you will have a great choice of restaurants, a coffee shop and ice creamery, and even an up-scale wine room.

Callaway Historic Site, Historic Downtown Washington, historic farms and living history events are only a short drive from Atlanta, Athens and Augusta.

• Atlanta: 110 miles via I-20 and the Washington/Thomson/Hwy. 78 exit
• Athens: 45 miles via Hwy. 78 east
• Augusta: 55 miles via Hwy. 78 west