Thompson House, ca. 1890

This home was originally situated in the 600 block of Ellis Street and moved to the present location in 1984. It is a Folk Victorian style known as a "shotgun" house, aptly named since a shotgun aimed at the front door could shoot all the way through the house. These homes contained multi-purpose rooms that either flowed together, or off a side hall. The shotgun style, found mainly in the South, can be traced back to the West Indies, and even further back to African housing forms. This home originally had pressed tin ceilings, a treatment common in commercial structures of the time, and retains its original glass in the front window.