The Sullivan Cabin was built on the east side of Bassett Creek, in
1874 by Gibeon Jefferson Sullivan, a Confederate soldier who served
in Co. A. 32nd Ala Infantry, an all-volunteer company made up of
men from Washington County. The cabin is a type of folk house
common to south Alabama from the time of settlement until the end
of the 19th century: a round - log, double -pen with dogtrot cabin.
The spraddle roof as seen from the gable end puts porches under
the main house roof. Wide over - hanging eaves extend the roof
beyond the chimney. Long logs on the corners of the pens at
ceiling height extend front to back to support the porch roof. Logs
are plainly notched without dovetails or chinking: battens cover the
spaces. Timbers are hand-hewn (ax marks still visible) and some
floorboards are as wide as 20 inches, with large sills in the
foundation beneath The original pillars probably were large
round-log sections. The two back shed rooms were probably
added later as Gibeon's family grew.
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Reverse
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When the home was completed in 1874, Gibeon nailed three boards
together to create a "cooling board" The feature turned his front
porch into a place of central importance
to the Wagarville
community. When a death occurred. the board was used by
neighbors to transport the body back to Gibeon's home where it
was prepared for burial. As one of the few homes in Washington
County with a cooling board, the Sullivan Cabin became a community
gathering place where people came to grieve, pay respects,
and find comfort.
The cabin remained Gibeon Sullivan's residence until he died in 1914,
when it passed to his grandson, G.G. Sullivan, who lived here until
his death in 1960. At G. G. Sullivan's death, the cabin became the
property of D.K. Sullivan, who maintained it faithfully all of his
life. His heirs sold the cabin to other Sullivan descendants, who
gave it to the Pvt. Gibeon Jefferson Sullivan Chapter of the
United Daughters of the Confederacy in June 2009.
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