Celebrating Juneteenth at William Root House in Marietta
Juneteenth at William Root House
The William Root House in Marietta will be honoring Juneteenth on June 19. Liz Malone joined FOX 5 Atlanta Digital to talk about the free events that are taking place.
MARIETTA, Ga. - Those celebrating Juneteenth can stop by the William Root House Museum & Garden in Marietta on June 19 between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The free event will commemorate the holiday with guided museum tours, crafts, living history demonstrations, storytelling, and more.
"Here’s a chance to really learn about what was going on in Cobb County, who were the people, put names to faces, and just learn more about your local history," said Cobb Landmarks Program Coordinator Liz Malone.
The oldest wood-frame structure in Marietta is rich in history.
The home was originally built in the 1840s for William and Hannah Root, who were early settlers in Marietta. William was heavily involved in his community and opened a drug store when he moved from Philadelphia to Georgia in 1839.
Over the decades, the house has been moved and remodeled. It even became an apartment building at one point.
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Today, however, the home has been restored and redecorated with period antiques and furnishings to accurately represent the Root family’s daily life and the slaves who lived on their property.
The property includes a log cabin and a garden sculpture called Forget Me Not, America to pay homage to the enslaved individuals in Marietta, who made up at least 45% of the city's population.
"They were domestic servants, cooks, gardeners, butlers, and also people working in very skilled crafts jobs," said Malone, explaining that there was only urban slavery (not plantation slavery) in Marietta at that time.
In addition to tomorrow’s event, the Root House will be hosting a free teacher workshop on June 28 called Juneteenth in the Classroom to teach educators how to incorporate the holiday into their lessons.
The William Root House is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission ranges from six to nine dollars, and activities are available for all ages.