Barrington Hall

A STEP BACK IN TIME!
Today my husband and I attended a free event at Barrington Hall. It was the re-​enactment of the Federal Occupation of Roswell during the Civil War. Now normally, Confederate soldiers would have also been a part of this demonstration but the re-​enactors were working with a reduced staff, (due to the hot weather), and decided that they would only have Union soldiers and officers represented. I really appreciated their determination to participate today because it was very hot and they were in the authentic wool uniforms worn in the 1860’s.
On July 5, 1864 the Union army began an eleven day occupation of the city of Roswell, During this time the mills, (still operating and supplying the Confederacy) were destroyed and the 400 workers, (women, some with children), were expelled and transported up North. For the most part they were unable to return to the South and just started their new lives in other states.
There were several vignettes set up on the property: There was a table that contained the old weapons, (handguns, muskets and side knives) and it was nice to hear the origin of these weapons, how they were fired/​used and how they evolved over time. I was actually able to handle the weapons, (very heavy) and later watched a firing demonstration.
Some of the soldiers talked about everyday life and the hardships encountered during the war and how men of today could never have survived like the men of the Civil War and I agree. Those men were in much better shape due to hard work, they were accustomed to hard work and were just able to endure under horrible circumstances, It was interesting to note that the average soldier was approximately 140 pounds and was shorter in stature that today’s male. This is important because there was a standard issue uniform. No Big and Tall here baby!
I loved the musical group dressed in traditional garb and playing Civil War music. It was very cool and relaxing and was the perfect backdrop for today’s activities.
I really wish that I had more time to spend with General Thomas to hear more about his role in the war but after 1.5 hours in the hot sun, we were ready to find a cool spot. Thomas was a southern born office who chose his country over his home state and lost the support of his southern family. They never spoke to him following his decision to become a Union officer and even refused to attend this funeral.
These re-​enactments take place on an annual basis and are a very good teaching tool for kids. The participants are very passionate about what they do and are a wealth of information. This re-​enactment is conducted annually, (and they are shooting for a cooler month next year), so you have plenty of time to get it on your calendar. It was a great learning experience.

It’s a cute place. Parking is very easily accessible and always available. They have a good set up to show how things were back in it’s hay day. Some of the people that work there are not as friendly as I would like. A friend of ours suggested my wife and I take pictures out there. An employee approached our family and said we needed a permit to take pictures here professionally. He could have been much nicer about it and I felt it was a bit ridiculous seeing how we were the only ones there. I guess it was his job but still it made me give 3 stars instead of more. Just FYI if you go there to take pictures with a professional, if they don’t have a permit you will get asked to stop or leave.

I bought two voucher for «A Southern Trilogy» tour from Livingsocial for $ 9 each. «A Southern Trilogy» includes admission to Barrington Hall, Bulloch Hall and Smith Plantation. So on a sunny spring afternoon, me and my husband drove to Roswell.
Barrington Hall was great, the tour guide knew a lot about history and interesting facts about the area. We loved it. Our guide was a man in his 40s? 50s? It’s been a while and I forgot his name. He has a long German soundig last name. My husband thinks the guide is the best guide EVER! The guide know so much about history!
Before the trip, I checked online and I knew that for all three houses the last trip will start on 3:00pm. Naively, I thought each of the house will take 1 hour. The tour at Barryington Hall ends exactly at 2pm. It took us 10 mins to arrive at Bulloch Hall because it was our first time in Roswell and we didn’t knew the area well. The tour guide at Bulloch Hall let us in although we were late. Then at 3:10pm, we were not that lucky when we arrived at Smith Plantation, the tour guide simply said sorry, we are closed, you are late. So we left and visited Roswell mill instead.
So the suggestion for anyone with «A Southern Trilogy»: Plan 2 hours for each house (because the tour alone would take 1 hour, and you also need some time to look around in the gardens), and arrive 5 hours before the start of the last tour.