A museum documenting the life of a Marietta family during 1800s will offer flashlight tours to demonstrate how a family death was mourned in homes more than a century ago.
Guided flashlight tours at the William Root House Museum & Gardens will be held 5-8 p.m. Oct. 3, 10, 17 and 24 in Marietta.
William and Hannah Root lived in the home with their children and extended family from 1845 to 1886. Hannah Root’s father, Leonard Simpson, lived with the family until his death on Oct. 11, 1856.
For the month of October, the rooms in the home will be decorated as they would have been at the time of Simpson’s death. Curtains will be drawn and rooms will be decorated with black crepe and ribbons.
Visitors will be able to view embalming equipment from the 19th century, mourning jewelry made from human hair and “other curious artifacts related to death and mourning in the Victorian era,” the museum said.
Residents are asked to bring their own flashlights and to follow social distancing guidelines. Staff will limit the number of guests in the house at one time. Each tour will begin every 30 minutes between 5-8 p.m. and masks must be worn while inside the museum at all times. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased on the day of the tour or online.
Now owned by the Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society, the museum offers a glimpse into the lives of the Root family and the enslaved people who lived and worked on the property. You can learn more about the Museum and the flashlight tours by visiting the museum’s website.
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