One year after announcing what was intended to be a temporary pause in its operations, a Columbus tourist attraction permanently has closed.
Historic Westville, a living history museum that demonstrated 19 th -century Southern culture, didn’t raise the money necessary to reopen, Westville president and chairman George Singer confirmed Thursday to the Ledger-Enquirer.
In an email to the L-E, Singer said the Westville board “has come to the realization that the Westville Village, as an historical attraction, can no longer be self-sustaining and is no longer financially viable.”
The L-E reported in September 2021 that Westville was struggling financially after being closed for several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic and reopening in October 2020 with coronavirus protocols in place.
Westville not only was dealing with decreased ticket sales but also paying the $9.5 million cost of moving its 17 historic buildings from Lumpkin, about 40 miles south of Columbus, that was completed in June 2019.