“Mansions in a Mill Town” is a day of visiting five historic properties in Roswell, Georgia. Set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 2, 2020, it includes Bullock Hall, Barrington Hall, Archibald Smith Plantation (picture, at left), Mimosa Hall and Roswell Presbyterian Church. Self-guided tours of Founders Cemetery, Presbyterian Church Cemetery, and Old Roswell Cemetery will be part of the day.

Hosted by the Garden Club of Georgia, it’s a fundraiser for the club’s Historic Landscape Preservation Grant for the restoration of historic, non-profit landscapes and gardens in the state.

Highlights of the tour are a special exhibit by the Roswell Historical Society specifically curated throughout Bulloch Hall for fundraiser. “A Garden Affair: What to Wear?” will feature a portion of the Society’s extensive textile collection.

The Barn at Barrington Hall will host lectures at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. featuring authors Staci Catron and Mary Ann Eaddy presenting their book Seeking Eden: A Collection of Georgia’s Historic Gardens. Book Sales and signings will follow the lectures.

In the Osage Room at Bulloch Hall, a special presentation by the Federated Garden Clubs of Macon will feature the life of Neel Reid and his connection to Mimosa Hall entitled: Neel Reid, Georgia Classicist. “This event will showcase a pre-Civil War town that few people think still exists in the Atlanta area,” said Lee Dunn, Chairman of the event for The Garden Club of Georgia, “and it’s one of the reasons we chose to hold our fundraiser here.”

Tickets are $40 per person, and are available online. The tour is rain or shine. Tours begin at Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill Street, Roswell, Georgia, where the organizers promise ample parking.

(Photos courtesy of Visit Roswell)