Have you ever seen a period whodunit mystery movie or play in which a woman dressed in a turban conducts a seance, perhaps guided by an Ouija board or a crystal ball? That wasn’t just a theatrical cliche.  

During the Victorian era in the U.S. and the British Empire, there was an obsession with spiritualism and communication with the dead, popularized by Margaret and Catherine Fox in the United States and Arthur Conan Doyle in England.

On October 19, at 6:30 p.m., the William Root House will present a discussion by James Freeman of Freeman & Fugate Oddities Company about this fad that swept the English-speaking world in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Root House is located at 80 North Marietta Pkwy NW, Marietta, GA 30060.

The announcement on the City of Marietta website describes the event as follows:

Many Victorians were obsessed with death and the afterlife. Spirit photography, seances, Ouija boards, and automatic writing became popular during this era. On October 19th, the William Root House Museum will welcome collector James Freeman of Freeman & Fugate Oddities Company for a discussion about the Victorian spiritualism movement. 

Freeman will delve into the Victorian spiritualism movement and show off his rare collection of antique oddities, including William Mumler spirit photos, spirit trumpets, automatic writing planchettes, spirit slates, and one of the first Ouija boards. 

This program is restricted to guests 18 years or older. Tickets for this program are $30 per person and must be purchased in advance at WilliamRootHouse.com.  

Additionally, During the month of October, visitors to the William Root House will see the home decorated for a Victorian-ea funeral. 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 in the Victorian era. 

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.

According to promotional materials for the museum, “While the home and grounds have been meticulously restored to their 1860 appearance, interactive electronic displays have been added to tell the story of the Root family and their enslaved house servants.”