Root House Museum Shows Visitors How Southerners Kept Their Cool

Visitors will learn how Victorian southerners transformed their homes in order to keep cool during summer months.

MARIETTA, GA, July 25, 2017 - Before air conditioning existed, southerners used a variety of tricks to keep their homes airy and cool. This summer, see the historic William Root House dressed as it would have been during the hot months of the 1860s. The winter drapes have been placed in storage and replaced with breezy sheers designed to keep insects from coming inside. The carpets have been rolled away and replaced with bamboo matting to protect the floors from dirt and dust. The fireplaces have been sealed to keep birds and other unwelcome guests outside. And the dark upholstered furniture in the parlor and dining room has been concealed with crisp white slipcovers. The result is a light and airy home designed to be refreshing and comfortable. 

WHAT: Dressed for Summer
WHEN: On display through September 29, 2017
WHERE: William Root House Museum & Garden; 80 N Marietta Parkway NW, Marietta, GA 30060
INFORMATION: 770-426-4982; http://www.roothousemuseum.com/

ABOUT THE WILLIAM ROOT HOUSE MUSEUM & GARDEN: Owned and operated by Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society, the William Root House Museum & Garden offers an authentic look at life for a middle class Georgia family during the 1860s. The simple frame house is more typical of its time and place than the grand plantations and columned mansions people typically imagine when they think of the Old South.

Visitors to the museum will learn the story of the house, the Root family, and life in antebellum and Civil War Georgia. Using electronic touchscreens, visitors can analyze historic records, family photos, archaeological information, and more. These primary resources help explain how the Root family lived and how the house has evolved over time.

The William Root House Museum & Garden is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11am - 4pm. Admission is $7 for adults (18+) and $6 for seniors (65+), students, and military.

For more information about the Root House, call 770-426-4982 or visit http://www.roothousemuseum.com.