Exhibits & Events

“African Americans at the Smith Plantation” Exhibit
February 1-29, 2012
This exhibit places the history of African Americans who worked at the Smith Plantation in a greater context of the history of African Americans in the American South. The exhibit will shed light on those who served the Smith family and journeyed with them from the coast, and will demonstrate how the Smith Home began as a place where African Americans labored as slaves to a home lived in by an African American woman. The exhibit will be on display from February 1-29th at the Smith Plantation Home. Admission is included in the purchase of a regular tour ticket.

African American Genealogy Workshop
February 18, 2012
1:00pm
Renowned genealogist Melvin J. Collier will present a workshop on tracing African American roots at the Grimes Bridge Adult Recreation Center Ballroom. The workshop will focus on discovering African American heritage and research utilizing different methods including oral histories, DNA testing, and slave documents. Melvin appeared as one of the expert genealogists on the Spike Lee episode of Who Do You Think You Are on NBC that aired on April 30, 2010. This episode highlighted Spike Lee’s search for his ancestry in Georgia. He is also the author of two books, Mississippi to Africa and 150 Years Later. Admission: $5.00

The Smith Family and the Civil War Exhibit
The War At Home
March 1-December 31, 2012
To commemorate the 150 year anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, the Smith Plantation will feature an exhibit highlighting the Smith family’s activities during the second year of the war. 1862 brought new challenges to the Smith family as their youngest son turned 18 and the Confederate Congress declared every able bodied male between the ages of 18 and 35 subject to conscription into Military Service. This exhibit will run through December 31st. Exhibit admission included in the purchase of regular tour ticket.

Friday, March 30- Easter Egg Hunt/Visit with Easter Bunny
10:00am
Open to the public, this Easter Egg hunt on the historic grounds of the Smith Plantation continues a tradition started by Lizzie Smith, oldest child of Archibald and Anne Smith. Photographs will be available with the Easter Bunny for a fee of $5. For children up to age 5.

Antique Appraisal
Saturday, April 28, 2012, 11:00am
For only $10 (limit 2 items) Certified Antiques Appraiser Richard Williams will tell participants whether they have a treasure and tell them the historic value of the item! For more information, please log onto www.archibaldsmithplantation.org or call (770) 641-3978.

Smith Plantation’s Outbuilding Tours
May 1st, 9:30 am
Join us for a special guided tour of the ten outbuildings on the Smith Plantation on the first Tuesday of the month through the summer. Tour includes cookhouse, slave cabin, guest cottage, well, carriage house, and barn. Free Admission.

Smith Plantation Genealogy Lecture Series: Family Records
Tuesday, May 8, 7:00pm
In honor of Heritage Days in May the Smith Plantation will host a special workshop on researching genealogy conducted by Genealogist Susan Sloane. This class will provide an introduction to genealogy including where to look for information on family history, how to fill out ancestry charts and family group sheets, and how to organize family history information. Cemetery research and information on vital records and how to order them is presented in this session. Advance reservations are suggested. Please call (770) 641-3978 for reservations or more information. Admission $5.00

Mothers Day Open House
Sunday, May 13 1-3pm
Bring mom out on her special day at the historic homes of Roswell. Treat her to a tour of Barrington Hall, Bulloch Hall, and Smith Plantation during our annual open house with free admission. Food donations will be accepted at each house for the North Fulton Food Bank.

Antique Books Lecture
Wednesday, May 23th 7:00pm
Smith Plantation hosts an antiquarian book dealer Kenneth Studdard, owner of Dogwood Books and Antiques, for an evening looking in depth at the rare book trade. The speaker will discuss several items from the Smith Family’s unique collection of books that date to the seventeenth century. Advance reservations are suggested. Please call (770) 641-3978 for reservations or more information. Admission: Donation Suggested

Smith Plantation’s Outbuilding Tours
June 5th, 9:30 am
Join us for a special guided tour of the ten outbuildings on the Smith Plantation on the first Tuesday of the month through the summer. Tour includes cookhouse, slave cabin, guest cottage, well, carriage house, and barn. Free Admission.

Camp Yesteryear at the Smith Plantation
June 18-22, 2012
The Smith Plantation will host a week full of fun and learning for children on the beautiful grounds of the Smith Plantation in the heart of Historic Roswell.
Camp will be held June 18-22, 2012 from 10:00am-1:30pm. Activities include 19th Century Crafts, Farm life, Archaeological Dig, Native American Crafts, Open Hearth Cooking, Sewing, Soap Making, Herbs & Gardening, Painting, 19th Century Games, Gold and Gem Panning, an Animal Encounter and much more! Space is limited to 25 campers, ages 7-11. Tuition is $150. For more information please call the Smith Office at 770-641-3978 or log onto www.archibaldsmithplantation.org.

Smith Plantation’s Outbuilding Tours
July 3rd, 9:30 am
Join us for a special guided tour of the ten outbuildings on the Smith Plantation on the first Tuesday of the month through the summer. Tour includes cookhouse, slave cabin, guest cottage, well, carriage house, and barn. Free Admission.

Smith Plantation Genealogy Lecture Series: Civil War Records
Tuesday, July 24, 7:00pm
In honor of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, the Smith Plantation will host a special workshop on researching genealogy and war records conducted by Genealogist Susan Sloane. This program is a seminar on military records and their value in your genealogical research. The seminar covers wars and conflicts in American history and the resulting records that are especially useful to family historians. Advance reservations are suggested. Please call (770) 641-3978 for reservations or more information. Admission $5.00

Smith Plantation’s Outbuilding Tours
August 7th, 9:30 am
Join us for a special guided tour of the ten outbuildings on the Smith Plantation on the first Tuesday of the month through the summer. Tour includes cookhouse, slave cabin, guest cottage, well, carriage house, and barn. Free Admission.

Trilogy Trolley Crawl
Saturday, August 18, 7-11:00pm

Smith Plantation’s Outbuilding Tours
September 4th, 9:30 am
Join us for a special guided tour of the ten outbuildings on the Smith Plantation on the first Tuesday of the month through the summer. Tour includes cookhouse, slave cabin, guest cottage, well, carriage house, and barn. Free Admission.

Native American Day
All Scout Groups Welcome!
Saturday, September 22nd, 11:00 am
Cherokee Indian Occupation Day will feature “Buck” and “Richie” as they take children through a day in the life of a Cherokee Indian. Admission $5.00

Fall Farm Days
Saturday, October 13, 11am-3pm
FREE!
This annual family event will feature artisan exhibits and demonstrations pertaining to life on a 19th Century Farm, including living history exhibits and activities such as blacksmithing, spinning, weaving and open hearth cooking. Children’s activities include period games, a farm animals petting zoo, wagon rides, crafts, farm chores, and gold and gem panning (for $5). Attendees will be able to take home the gold and gems that they find. Additionally, The Smith Plantation Home will be open from 12-3pm for $5.00 admission.

Gingerbread Christmas
Saturday, December 1
Four 30 minute workshops are scheduled for 10:30 am, 11:30am, 1:00pm and 2:00pm. Each workshop will include preparing and decorating Christmas themed cookies. Additionally, participants will assist with baking the cookies over the open hearth at the plantation outdoor cookhouse. Children will also prepare a craft to take home. The workshops are designed for children ages 6 and up and will be limited to 10 children. Advance reservations are necessary. Fee is $10 per child. Call the Smith Plantation office at 770-641-3978 for reservations. This is a popular event for area children, and workshops fill up fast.

Candlelight Tour
Saturday, December 8, 5pm-9pm
Visit all three of Roswell’s historic homes in beautiful candlelight and enjoy festive holiday decorations and entertainment. Admission is $20 for adults, and $10 for children.