Did you know that Roswell might have been Barrington?

I took a rare day off yesterday with my good friend, Leslie Jeffrey. 



Barrington Hall Side View



I had purchased tickets to a Southern Trilogy Tour of Homes through Groupon back in early summer and we vowed that we would tour these homes once the weather cooled off and yesterday was nice and cool.  The tickets allowed us to tour Smith Plantation, Barrington Hall and Bulloch Hall.  Leslie lived in Roswell for some time and had never been to see any of the homes.  Although I have been to the Swan House and the Atlanta Historical Society, I know nothing about the northern suburbs and so it was quite an adventure for me.

I was a little off in our planning and we got to Barrington Hall "after the hour".  Tours begin "on the hour".  So we explored the gardens first and then had a private tour - just the two of us with the docent.  It was great.  I had been to Stone Mountain, but all the structures there had been moved to the site.  This was the original house, owned by Roswell Barrington! Who knew? I had no idea such a beautiful, original home existed so close to Atlanta! 



Smith Plantation



After that tour, we went to lunch at a lovely cafe - Oak Street Cafe - nice atmosphere and tasty lunch.  And then, we proceeded to go to the Smith Plantantation.  We had a great guide by the name of Jane.  She made it very interesting and she spoke about Mamie Cotton, the domestic who stayed on beyond the death of Mrs. Smith, because of the life estate that had been left to her.

Unfortunately, we were unable to see Bulloch Hall which was closed in preparation for a quilt display.  We'll go back soon to see Bulloch Hall and follow that with shopping at the quaint local antique shops.  It's fun to explore!  There are actually a lot of great venues to explore in and around our area.  Stay tuned for additional places of interest.