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Forest Home is a small community in Southeast Alabama.
The story is that it was originally named Forest Home by new settlers because of all of the beautiful
large trees in the area.
Our home is known as the Watt Home in this area,
following the old tradition of naming homes after the family that lived there.
It was built in 1878, back when Forest Home was a booming community. The man
that built the house was named Elias Lazenby, and it was built as a wedding gift
for his daughter, Frances.
We believe this photo was taken in the
30's.
Taken January 2001.
Summer 2006.
Frances later had a daughter named Gertrude and
Gertrude
married Mr. Frank Watt. They had 5 children and lived here for many years, hence the name "The Watt Home". There are many people still living
here in here in Forest Home that are direct descendents of the original
founders- some families have been here 5 generations. This a very difficult place to leave- once
you live here it seems as though you are rooted. There are quite a few other
beautiful homes here, I hope to have photos of all of them soon.
Here is an excerpt from a paper written by one of the
older Forest Home residents:
"Forest
Home has been called the loveliest village in the plain. “The garden spot of
the country”. As one charming visitor expressed it, “It looks like the
corner of a little city. The homes were pretty and attractive, abounding with
old-fashioned flower yards. Sometimes I see again my Grandmother’s yard, Elias
Lazenby’s wife, with roses, lilies, bridal wreath and violets. Her door was
always open and she seemed to say, “Who so ever will may come.” She and her
husband built the Watt home."
It doesn't seem that Forest Home has changed
much over the years!
When the railroad came through this area, Greenville was chosen as the town for the train to run through, and Forest Home
all but faded away. Many of the homes fell into serious disrepair, and some were
lost. Ours was very close to falling in, a large portion of the roof was gone
in the rear of the home and there was actually a pine tree growing up through
the front porch. The house was almost totally obscured by kudzu. It was
purchased and saved by a man from Mobile, and we later purchased the home
from him, and continue to make repairs and improvements. Forest Home is again
gaining in popularity, as it is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in
the area.
We bought our house in 1998 and every year we love it
more. We have made our home here and have 18 acres, 100 pecan trees, 40 or so chickens, and 4
horses.
It doesn't snow very often in South Alabama, so we take
lots of pictures when it does! A camellia shrub blooming in the dead of winter
is a heartwarming sight.
Another beautiful home is the Rodgers Homeplace, a few miles east of us. It
is hard to believe that a landscape can change so much while the house stays the
same. The area around the home used to have a school, a store, a brick kiln and
a sawmill. The store is the only building still standing.
The old Rodger's Homeplace
in 1898. This photo,
courtesy of A. Till, shows John Asa Rodgers with his horse, "Dandy" on
the left. Amanda Scott Rodgers, his wife, and (some of) their children are on the porch.
In 2000.
The historical
information.
The smokehouse.
The above ground cistern with the windmill in background.
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