Root House Museum

William Root was born in Philadelphia in 1815. Between 1836-1839, he worked in drugstores in Georgia, South Carolina, and Philadelphia. In August 1839, he moved to Marietta and opened a drugstore for his boss, who owned the drugstores he worked at previously. Root married Hannah the next year and together they would have four children. The drugstore became successful and Root bought the store from his boss by 1844. He also purchased the lot on which he would build the house, which was completed sometime within the next year. Root's success garnered him respect within the community and he became a prominent figure, helping organize St. James Episcopal Church and serving as the town's first junior warden.

In 1864, as Union troops approached, the family left Marietta and fled to Washington, Georgia. They returned the next year and found that the house was minimally damaged. Much of the town, on the other hand, was burned to the ground. Nonetheless, Root opened a new drugstore in 1866 and he again became successful. His sons eventually joined him in the business. Hannah passed away in February 1886 and Root sold the house seven months later. It is unclear as to where he lived next but he continued to run the business until his death in 1891.

The house was relocated in 1893 to Lemon Street where it was later divided into apartments in the 1940s. Eventually, the house was in a state of disrepair and almost torn down. Fortunately, the Cobb Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society bought it and moved it to its current location and restored to its 1850s appearance.

Cherry-Farmer, Stephanie L. "Root, William and Hannah, House." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. March 12, 2014. https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/pdfs/14000061.pdf.

"History of the Root House." William Root House Museum. Accessed March 5th 2015. http://www.roothousemuseum.com/history.html.