The brick house was built by James Michael and Mahalia Ann West. It was started in 1893 and finished in 1895. James Michael West farmed something in excess of 240 acres. In addition he operated a sawmill [built in the 1830s by George Akers, remains of the mill were on the property owned by James Michael West after 1854] and a brickyard. James Michael's sawmill produced the wood used in the house. His brickyard made the bricks. He took a wagon load of lumber to Decatur to be dried and milled for the trim work. The parlor fireplace millwork is quarter sawn Sycamore. Oak and Pine trim the other rooms.
The home is all brick construction; both load bearing interior and exterior walls are multiple courses of brick, not brick veneer as is common today. When the house was first finished in 1895 it had central heat, a water system, an indoor bathroom complete with tub and commode and gas lights. When the original single pane windows were replaced with insulated double pane windows, the stained glass windows that were original to the house were reinstalled in front of the replacement windows.
James Michael and Mahalia Ann West, my great grandparents, lived in the home until their death, at which time it passed to my grandparents James Harvey ("Harv") and Ruby West. They lived in the house until James Harvey's death. Ruby West continued to live in the house, until she could no longer care for it and moved in with her daughter, my mother, Mary Clark. The house was then occupied by one of Ruby's grandchildren until her death, at which time the house passed to her daughter, Mary Clark. At this time, Theresa Rogers, Mary's granddaughter, my daughter, and her family occupied the home. The home became my property after my mother's death and I passed it on to Theresa. Theresa and her family lived in the home until her death.
