Roswell’s Trilogy Trolley Crawl 2010

This Saturday, August 21st is the 2nd annual Trilogy Trolley Crawl in Historic Roswell.  If you missed this event last year, it was extremely successful.  This event offers a limited number of tickets and last years event was sold out.  The ticket price of $40 covers admission into all three of Roswell’s famed historic homes; Barrington Hall, Bulloch Hall and Smith Plantation.  Ticket price also includes one drink ticket and three mini-sampler plate food tickets.  Six trolleys will transport guests from home to home.  Parking is available at each site with extra parking at the First Baptist Church on Mimosa.  The event will run from 7-11:30 p.m.

Roswell’s Francis Robert Goulding

Dr. Francis Robert Goulding was born in 1810, the son of Reverend Thomas Goulding who was the founder and first president of Columbia Theological Seminary.  Roswell residents may recognize the Goulding name.  The Goulding House is the large home sitting at the end of Goulding Place, just off of Canton Street, steps from Historic Roswell.  Francis Robert Goulding was an author, clergyman and inventor and lived in this house at the time of his death August 22, 1881 and is buried in the Roswell Presbyterian Cemetery. Graduated from the University of Georgia in 1830, he was licensed to preach in 1833. 

Experience Historic Roswell’s Bulloch Hall

Bulloch Hall was completed in 1839 for Major James Stephens Bulloch, one of Roswell’s first settlers and the grandson of Georgia’s revolutionary Governor, Archibald Bulloch.  Major Bulloch’s second daughter Mittie grew up in this home fell in love with a Northerner and got married here.  In December 1853, Mittie married Theodore Roosevelt in the dining room of Bulloch Hall.  Little did those in attendance realize they were witnessing a union that would produce a U.S. President, Teddy Roosevelt.  After their December 22nd wedding, Mittie and Theodore moved to New York City where they raised their four children; Anna, Elliott, Theodore, and Corrine. Theodore carried on the tradition of his ancestors with a life dedicated to public service. He became the youngest President of the United States after the death of President William McKinley in 1901. He served as our 26th President from 1901 – 1908.
 
Another of Mittie and Theodore’s children, Elliott, was the father of Eleanor Roosevelt who married Franklin, her fifth cousin, the 32nd President of the United States.

Another Historic Roswell Gem - Barrington Hall

All the antebellum homes in Roswell Georgia are steeped in history and Barrington Hall is no exception.  The home was originally built in 1842 for Roswell King’s son, Barrington King.  Barrington and his wife Catherine had a large family – 9 of their 12 children lived to maturity.  Construction took nearly five years and many historical accounts credit Connecticut architect-builder Willis Ball with designing and overseeing construction. 

Experience The Bricks of Historic Roswell

The Bricks were built by the Roswell Manufacturing Company in 1840.  The Bricks were two apartment buildings that originally housed cotton mill workers and their families until the 1950’s.  The Brick’s could quite possibly be the oldest standing apartment buildings in the United States.  If only walls could talk, these buildings had also been used as a hospital for Union soldiers and also a library at one time. The two buildings contained a total of ten apartments and from the 1950’s to the mid 1970’s; they were intermittently used for both residential and business space. The structures were renovated in early 1980’s and again more extensively in 1990.  The buildings were once the home of the Roswell Founders Club, a private club that accommodated special events, until the owner decided to sell in 2004.  In 2005, a trio of developers took over and began the tedious task of renovating this historic property into gorgeous modern row houses with all the newest conveniences, including elevators in each unit.  Wanting to maintain the historical integrity of the buildings, they went to great lengths to use recycled materials such as old tin roof shingles for kitchen backsplashes and the old heart of pine floors were used to construct the doors.

A Historic Roswell Gem - The Smith Plantation

In the heart of historic Roswell, tucked behind many trees and landscaped gardens is the Smith Plantation.  Archibald and Anne Smith were one of the founding families of Roswell.  In 1838 at the encouragement of Roswell King, the Smith’s and nearly 30 of their slaves left the southern coast of Georgia to make a new life just north of the Roswell Town Square.  Three generations of the Smith family have lived in this home over the span of 150 years.  The home has stood the test of time with the Civil War being virtually at their doorstep.  The occupants fled Roswell to southern Georgia and never returned.  After the Civil War, the home stood vacant for 25 years.

Three Roswell Historic Homes Showcased

This Saturday, September 27th, in recognition of Smithsonian National Museum Day, Roswell will open the three most popular historic homes and offer free tours.  The campaign is to highlight Barrington Hall, Bulloch Hall and the Smith Plantation.  The tours are in conjunction with City of Roswell’s launch event for the Preserve American Grant initiative. 

In March 2006, Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States and Honorary Chair of Preserve America, announced the first round of Preserve America Grants totaling $3.5 million.  This grant was spread out among 28 states representing all regions of the country.  Roswell was one of the first 45 recipients.