Bulloch Hall facts for kids
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Bulloch Hall
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Bulloch Hall is where Theodore Roosevelt's parents were married, in December 1853.
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| Location | 180 Bulloch Avenue, Roswell, Georgia |
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| Built | 1839 |
| Built by | Willis Ball |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Part of | Roswell Historic District (ID74000682) |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000276 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 27, 1971 |
| Designated CP | May 2, 1974 |
Bulloch Hall is a beautiful old house in Roswell, Georgia. It was built in 1839 and looks like a grand Greek temple. This style is called Greek Revival. The house is very important to history. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bulloch Hall was the childhood home of Martha Bulloch Roosevelt. People called her "Mittie." She was the mother of Theodore Roosevelt, who became the 26th President of the United States. Mittie also married Theodore Roosevelt's father, Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., right here at Bulloch Hall. This means that the descendants of Theodore Roosevelt are also related to Archibald Bulloch. He was the first Governor of Georgia, long ago from 1730 to 1777.
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Building Bulloch Hall
Mittie's father, Major James Stephens Bulloch, built this impressive house. He was a well-known farmer from the Georgia coast. His friend, Roswell King, invited him to settle in the new town of Roswell.
Major Bulloch had been married before. His first wife, Hester Amarintha "Hettie" Elliott, passed away. They had a son named James D. Bulloch. Later, Major Bulloch married Martha "Patsy" Stewart Elliot. She was the widow of his first wife's father. Together, they had four more children:
- Anna Bulloch
- Martha Bulloch (Mittie)
- Charles Bulloch (who died young)
- Irvine Bulloch
Major Bulloch chose a ten-acre piece of land for his new home. He hired a skilled builder named Willis Ball. Mr. Ball designed and built the elegant Greek Revival house. While the house was being built, the Bulloch family lived in an old Cherokee farmhouse. In 1839, Major Bulloch and his family finally moved into their completed home.
Major Bulloch also owned land for growing cotton. He forced African-Americans to work in his fields. These people were enslaved. In 1850, Martha Stewart Elliott Bulloch, who was a widow by then, owned 31 enslaved people. Most of them worked in the cotton fields. Some also worked inside the house. They cooked and did other chores to support the family. Some of the enslaved people known to have worked in the house were "Maum" Rose (the cook), "Maum" Charlotte (the housekeeper), and "Maum" Grace (a nursemaid). Others included "Daddy" William, "Daddy" Luke, and Henry.
Mittie's Childhood and Wedding
Martha Bulloch, or "Mittie," was born in 1835 in Hartford, Connecticut. She grew up at Bulloch Hall.
It's not clear exactly when Mittie and Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. first met. But when Theodore was 19, he visited Roswell, Georgia. He came with his friend Hilborne West, who was going to marry Mittie's older half-sister, Susan Elliott. Mittie was 15 at the time. Theodore, who was called "Thee," met Mittie again in January 1853. She was visiting her sister Susan in Philadelphia. They fell in love and planned their wedding through letters. Mittie was in Roswell, and Thee was in New York.
They were married in the dining room of Bulloch Hall on December 22, 1853. It was a big celebration. People traveled from far away and stayed for a whole week. Mittie's friend and bridesmaid, Mrs. William Baker, later shared her memories of the wedding. She spoke in an interview with Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone with the Wind. This interview was in the Atlanta Journal on June 10, 1923.
After their wedding, Mittie and Thee moved to New York City. They lived with Thee's parents while their own house was being built. This house was a wedding gift from Thee's parents. It was located at 28 East 20th Street. Later, in 1856, Mittie's siblings, Anna and Irvine, moved to Philadelphia to live with their sister Susan West. Anna and Martha later moved in with Mittie and Thee in New York.
Mittie and Thee became the parents of four children:
- Anna
- Theodore Roosevelt, who became the 26th President of the United States
- Elliott
- Corinne
Later, Elliott Roosevelt married Anna Rebecca Hall. Their daughter was Eleanor Roosevelt, who became a First Lady of the United States.
President Roosevelt's Visit
Theodore Roosevelt became president. He visited Bulloch Hall for the first time in 1905. He was on a tour of the Southern states. He was one of the first sitting presidents to visit the South after the American Civil War. However, William McKinley had visited earlier.
President Roosevelt and his wife Edith arrived in Roswell, Georgia, on October 20, 1905. At Bulloch Hall, he gave a speech. He said he was proud to have both Southern and Northern family roots. He spoke about his mother's brothers, his uncles, who fought for the Confederate Navy during the Civil War. One uncle, Irvine Bulloch, was an officer on the Alabama ship. He even fired the last shots from the Alabama in its final battle. Another uncle, James Dunwoody Bulloch, was an admiral.
President Roosevelt said that all Americans should be proud of the bravery of those who fought. He believed it didn't matter if they wore gray (Confederate) or blue (Union). What mattered was that they did their duty as they saw it.
Eleanor Roosevelt also visited Roswell and Bulloch Hall many times. Her husband, Franklin Roosevelt, visited the house, but he did not get out of his car.
Bulloch Hall in Stories
Bulloch Hall has been mentioned in books and movies.
- It is in Edward Summer's book, The Legend of Teddy Bear Bob (also known as Bear Bob's Story).
- Bulloch Hall was used as the model for the cover picture of William Harben's novel Mam' Linda.
