Everyone who lived in and around Livingston during
the 1920's through the 1960's have always known this home as the Mofield
House. The property on which the Mofield House sits once belonged to
Alfred Lafayette Windle and wife Mary (Armstrong) Windle, grandparents
of Jerry Windle. According to information provided by Jerry Windle, the
original house was a large,
white framed house, and was later bricked by his grandfather, Alfred
Lafayette Windle.
A. J. Mofield and wife Martha Judith (Goolsby) Mofield, their two
sons and three daughters, lived in the home for many years. Many who
grew up in Livingston had Miss Bess Mofield, one of the daughters of the
Mofields, as their third grade teacher. She taught at Livingston
Elementary school for many years.
At the back of the Mofield house, a small, one roomed white frame
house still stands that was once lived in by the cook for the Mofield
family whose first name was Della. Della's daughter, Toots, lived in
that dwelling with her for a short time. Both Della and her daughter
were black. Marshall Peek, also black, worked as a handy man for the
Mofields as well. In the earlier days, there was also a smoke house
where meat was hung after hogs had been killed. Another building in the
yard was called the wash house. Inside of the wash house was a huge iron
kettle with a place to build a fire underneath that was used for doing
laundry. Clothes were played in the boiling water and then washed by
using a wooden scrub board.
A.J. Mofield was well known businessman in Livingston and the
surrounding area. He owned a produce company, a business that dealt with
the buying and selling of poultry, which served as a source of cash
income for many families throughout Overton County and the neighboring
counties as well. Livingston was once the largest poultry shipping
industry in the state of
Tennessee. Chickens raised by many local farmers were sold to Mofield,
and from there, shipped by train all over the United States. Feed and
fertilizer could be bought there as well. The Mofield building was
located on Railroad Street directly in front of the railroad tracks that
made loading and unloading of poultry, feed, fertilizer and other
supplies easily accessible. Eggs were also bought and sold. Cracked eggs
were sold to customers for half price. During the late 1920's and early
1930's, it was nothing unusual to see large numbers of horse or mule
drawn wagons loaded with chicken coops lined up waiting to be unloaded
at Mofield Produce. That line sometimes reached nearly as far as the
courthouse.
|
| In 1994, James Lewis and
wife Margie Lewis, along with Margie’s sister, Gay Nolfo, bought the
Mofield house. They did extensive renovation work on the house that
included installing a staircase that was originally in the home of Miss
Margaret Miller and the construction of a stone fireplace. Additional
exterior work was done that included the massive concrete columns on the
front of the house and the building of a waterfall and fish pond in the
yard. For a period of time, Margie and Gay operated a bed and breakfast in
the home. Many ladies in this area also enjoyed the vintage fashion shows
held there from time to time. The present owners, Brad and Lynda
Simmons, have also done extensive renovation and improvements to the home.
Just a portion of the work includes two murals painted by local artist
Libby Allen, daughter of Shelby Reid and the late Morris Reid. One of the
murals was done in the dining room and depicts a peaceful landscape scene.
In the bedroom of Brad and Lynda’s son, a pirate theme was painted. The
Simmons have future plans for additional work that includes improving the
yard and landscape.
Judy Howard Jouett, daughter of James A. (Jim) Howard and wife Pauline
Mofield Howard, grew up in the Mofield house shares some of her memories:
A.J. Mofield was born in Smith County in 1870. Martha Judith (Mattie)
Goolsby Mofield was born in Jackson County in 1867. They moved to
Livingston from Algood in 1906 when railroad service came to Livingston.
They were the parents of five children: Carl who married Margaret
(Rowland); Harry who married Katherine (Stancliff); Mayme who married
Clarence Arnold; Bess (who never married); and Pauline who married James
(Jim) A. Howard. They purchased property from Mrs. Mary Windle. The street
was named "Mofield Street." In 1906 Mr. Mofield operated the Morgan
Produce Co. Later he operated a wholesale grocery business which was the
only outlet in that part of the State from which the farmer's products
could be shipped to New York.The Mofield family was active in the Church
of Christ. At one time the children and their families lived within a two
block radius of the Mofield home. Mr. Mofield later operated a small
grocery across the street from his home until his death at age 83. Mrs.
Mofield passed away in 1952.
Growing up in Livingston in the 40's was quite different than today. We
didn't have organized sports or other outside activities. Tuesday night
was "nickel night" at the theater. Then we had the Sat. afternoon movie.
My daddy would ask me the name of the movie. I would most always say that
I didn't know! It really didn't matter. There were more than a dozen
children living in the two blocks of Windle Street to Mofield St.
including some on the side streets. Those children I remember were Ruth
Ann Eubank; Tom, Bill, Joe, Jane, and Jack Davis; Elaine, Joanna, Carolyn
and L.G. Puckett, III; Barbara Sue Benson; Sarah Mae and Lena Kate Tucker;
Diane, Michael,
and Rita Stephens; Ross and Linda Averitt; William Meredith and John Lee
Nevans; and James Ray Speck, Shirley Ann Speck, and Susan Speck. We played
kick the can, Tarzan and Jane and other outside games. Elaine Phillips and
I played paper dolls and stick dolls on the wall of the side porch of the
Mofield house.
Even though we were living in the city, we had a barn, pigs, a cow,
chickens, etc. I remember asking my Granddaddy to let me hold a piglet. He
tried to discourage me, but I insisted. He handed it to me, it
squealed, I got rid of it in a hurry!
When Granddaddy opened his store across the street, I filled in for my
mother when she went home for lunch. If someone wanted cheese or bologna,
I would have to get her as I couldn't "slice" it.
Some Sat. evenings, Elaine Puckett and I would cook bacon or bologna on a
stick over a small fire at the back of the store with my mother
"overseeing" us. We also caught tadpoles in the "branch" that ran beside
the store.
Granddaddy sold "on credit." As a little girl, Carolyn Puckett would come
to buy canned soup. We knew how many cans she wanted by how many times she
said "soupie."
The Puckett's were the first to have television. I would pretend to go to
bed, and "slip off" to their house.
Rebecca Officer lived up the street. She had lots of comic books. We, for
some reason, decided one day to take comic books and green apples and get
on the roof of their garage. Everything was fine until time to get down. I
was afraid! Rebecca's father, Judge Officer, had to help me get down. That
was the last time for us to do that.
Looking back, it was truly a different time; but a good time.
|
