October 25, 2022

CONTACT: Trevor Beemon

Executive Director

678-594-4994

tbeemon@cobblandmarks.com

Interactive exhibits at the William Root House in downtown Marietta subject of American Alliance of Museums feature. 

MARIETTA, GA, September 22, 2022 -  The William Root House Museum & Garden has been recognized by the American Alliance of Museums' Center for the Future of Museums. The Center for the Future of Museums (CFM) monitors cultural, technological, political and economic trends in the museum field. The CFM recently became aware of the new interactive touchscreen experience at the William Root House and asked Cobb Landmarks Executive Director Trevor Beemon to share about the project on the American Alliance of Museums blog. 

The 1840s William Root House, one of the oldest homes in the Atlanta area, was originally the home of early Cobb County settlers Hannah and William Root. Threatened by demolition in the 1980s, the home was moved in 1990 by Cobb Landmarks and renovated for use as a house museum depicting middle class life in Antebellum Georgia. 

A half-million-dollar renovation of the museum in 2019 included remodeling and expanding the exhibits at the Root House. Interactive touchscreen displays were installed in each room of the house and surrounding outbuildings. The touchscreens give visitors the opportunity to examine family photos and documents, and to watch educational videos produced for the Root House. The Root House is the first house museum in the United States to offer a fully self-guided touchscreen tour. In 2021 the Georgia Association of Museums recognized the Root House for excellence in exhibition theory, planning, and implementation. The recognition specifically commends the use of touchscreen technology and also recognized the interpretation of the slave experience on the property.

In addition to being featured on the CFM blog, the William Root House will also be included in the CFM 2023 Annual Trends Report. “This recognition validates the important work Cobb Landmarks is doing at the Root House,” said Trevor Beemon. “It also reassures us that the use of technology in a historic house setting can be a successful way to provide information to contemporary visitors who have come to expect this type of presentation in a museum.”

ABOUT COBB LANDMARKS: Since its founding in 1974, Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society has succeeded in preserving and protecting some of Cobb’s most historically relevant buildings. Each year, Cobb Landmarks provides engaging programs and activities that reach thousands of preservationists, tourists, educators, and students. Many of these programs are centered on the organization's two historic properties, the William Root House and Power Family Cabin.

ABOUT THE WILLIAM ROOT HOUSE: One of the oldest homes remaining in the Atlanta area, the Root House is more typical of its time and place than the columned mansions popularized by Gone With the Wind. Though the home and grounds have been meticulously restored to their 1860 appearance, award-winning interactive touchscreen displays have been added throughout the property. The Root House is owned and operated by Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society, Inc.