I

Dogs roam leash-less. Trees as old as Methuselah rock out in the afternoon breeze. Hydrangea blossoms soak up the hot sun. And long ago, Uncle Zack and Aunt Mandy Simmons, descendants of freed slaves, threw a townwide summer party at their cottage on High Street.

An accomplished carpenter, Simmons built the cottage in 1890, and over a hundred years later, his house remains as a testament to his artistry and expertise. Mandy was known for her fabulous jellies and pickles, not to mention homemade treats she liked to sneak into the hands of Mooresville’s children. Their cottage is an example of Downing Gothic architecture, and Lyla’s first priority was restoring the pierced columns of the front porch.

population of 60, a set of streets without lines and a 15 mph speed limit.

n case you haven’t heard of it, Mooresville, Alabama, is a wild and crazy place with a