The historic William Root House staff will conduct what they describe as “eerie flashlight tours” on Friday evenings in October.

The announcement for the tours on the City of Marietta website described the event as follows:

During the 1850s, Hannah and William Root shared their home with their children and extended family. Hannah Root’s father, Leonard Simpson, lived with the family and passed away on October 11, 1856. For the month of October, the rooms inside the Root House will be decorated as they would have been following Leonard’s death. Curtains will be drawn, and rooms will be adorned with black crepe and ribbons. Visitors will be able to view 19th century embalming equipment, mourning jewelry made from human hair, and other curious artifacts related to death and mourning during the Victorian era. Daytime tours are included in the cost of regular admission.   

On Friday evenings in October, the Root House will offer self-guided flashlight tours (please bring your own flashlight).

The Flashlight Tour tickets are $10 per person are available online at roothousemuseum.com/mourning. Space is limited.

Coronavirus precautions

In order to maintain social distancing guidelines, staff will be limiting the number of guests permitted in the house at one time. Masks are appreciated inside the Root House facilities.

About the Root House

The William Root House was built in about 1845, and was the home of William Root and his wife Hannah.

William Root was a druggist who was born in Philadelphia. He moved to Marietta in 1839 to open a drug and general store. He married Hannah Rhemer Simpson a year later, and they built the house at what is now Church and Lemon streets.

It was later moved to face Lemon Street, and was owned by William Root until 1886.

Afterwards it had a series of owners and went into steady decline, and in the 1940s was split into apartments.

By the 1980s, the house was in serious disrepair and scheduled for demolition.

A preservation effort began, and in 1989 Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society bought the house and moved it to its current location at 80 North Marietta Pkwy NW, Marietta, GA 30060.