Visit to John Horr's old house

Photo: LESLIE WILLIAMS / Staff

Whole pieces of conch and oyster shell jut from the walls of the old Horr home. The construction, called tabby, uses whole shells mixed with mortar of some sort. Archaeologist Matt Betz, said he typically sees another type of construction, called Cochina, which uses crushed up shells as a base. Horr probably took materials directly from the shell mounds on the island in order to construct his home, Betz said.