Remembering Cobb’s Enslaved Population BY TREVOR BEEMON
new garden sculpture. For the sculpture, KSU students used Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society recently state-of-the-art scanning technology to 3D scan living dedicated a new sculpture at the William Root House, built history interpreter Misha Harp. circa 1845 for Hannah and William Root, early settlers of The scan was used to print a maquette of the sculpture, Marietta. using a 3D printer, which helped inform sculptors as they Born in Philadelphia in 1815, William moved to Marietta crafted the full-size sculpture. in August 1839 to open a drugThe unveiling, which attracted a mercantile store on the Marietta large crowd, included remarks by Square. During the 1990s, myself, Harp, master craftsman the Root House was restored Page Burch, and a poetry reading meticulously to its original by Sprayberry High School student appearance, and now is operated Courtney Brown. by Cobb Landmarks as a historic Lights Over Atlanta, a company house museum. that specializes in exterior lighting, Situated on the Root House approached Cobb Landmarks property is the circa 1830s about donating permanent outdoor Manning Family Cabin. Cobb lighting for the Root House’s new Landmarks uses the cabin garden sculpture, titled “Forget to help tell the stories of the Me Not, America.” The lighting enslaved individuals who labored ceremony took place in December. at the Root House property, A sculpture titled “Forget Me Not, America” sits in front of The sculpture represents the and who would have lived the Manning Family Cabin on the grounds of the Root House, to honor the lives of enslaved people. work of students, poets, artists and in a similar cabin. The 1860 historians who came together for a census shows Marietta had 297 common purpose — to shine a light on the 1,200 enslaved households and a population of approximately 2,600. Of individuals whose names were not recorded and now are lost the 297 households, 137 (46%) held slaves. According to to time. the 1860 slave schedule (census), Marietta’s slave population in 1860 was roughly 1,200, meaning that almost 45% of Marietta’s total population was enslaved at that time. To honor and remember the more than 1,200 enslaved Trevor Beemon is the executive director of Cobb people living in Marietta prior to the end of the Civil Landmarks and Historical Society and the chairman War, Cobb Landmarks partnered with Kennesaw State of the Acworth History Preservation Commission. University’s (KSU) School of Art and Design to create a
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AROUND ACWORTH | February 2022
