Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society, Inc. is celebrating National Historic Preservation Month with a Preservation Awards Ceremony and Reception on May 27, at 5 p.m.

The ceremony will be held at the historic William Root House

This event honors local preservation efforts and includes live music and refreshments.

The organization’s goal is to recognize individuals, local governments, and organizations who have contributed to the preservation of Cobb County’s history, and the event is supported by Cobb Landmarks Trustees and the Marietta Historic Preservation Commission.

The news release for the event stated, “When historic buildings are torn down or allowed to deteriorate, a part of the past disappears forever. When that happens, individuals lose the opportunity to have physical contact with the places where the region’s identity was established and the community’s character was shaped.”

Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society is a private nonprofit organization that advocates for the preservation of Cobb’s historic structures and sites, and owns and manages several historic structures.

Those include the Power Cabin, the Manning Cabin, and the William Root House. The Manning Cabin is located on the grounds of the William Root House, and both are open to the public. The Power Cabin is not open to the public except during special events.

About the William 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 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.

Afterward, 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.