Some of Rome and Floyd County’s finest historic sites and homes will be open for tours during The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Fall Ramble Sept. 25-27.
Rambles feature tours and social events in historic properties not usually open to the public. Tours of historic homes and buildings are self-guided, and guests provide their own transportation.
The event will offer visitors and residents alike a rare opportunity to explore private homes and go behind the scenes of historically significant sites, including Berry College, consistently ranked the world’s largest and most beautiful.
On Sept. 27, guests will tour the campus’s many historic treasures, including Oak Hill, the home of founder Martha Berry, as well as several Gothic Revival landmarks gifted by Henry and Clara Ford in 1925. Sunday’s brunch will be held at Berry College’s Ford Dining Hall, a Gothic Revival landmark inspired by Christ Church College at Oxford.
The Ramble will also feature historic residences and buildings in Cave Spring on Friday, Sept. 25. Nestled among the rolling hills of northwest Georgia, Cave Spring was founded in the 1830s around a crystal-clear natural spring and limestone cave. Over time, the town grew into an important cultural and commercial center with a rich collection of historic homes and buildings.
On Saturday, Sept. 26, guests will explore historic residences and sites in Rome’s Between the Rivers Historic District, the largest Victorian-era neighborhood in Georgia and the site of the city’s founding in 1834. Guests will also tour the College Heights neighborhood, where tree-lined streets showcase an array of Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and mid-century modern homes. The day continues in Rome’s vibrant Broad Street and downtown historic district, where beautifully restored historic buildings and loft spaces highlight the city’s rich architectural heritage and ongoing revitalization.
The Ramble also includes special dining experiences held at historic sites throughout the weekend. After Friday’s Ramble, guests can enjoy dinner and cocktails at the historic Lindale Mill. Built in 1896 by the Massachusetts Cotton Mills Company, the Lindale Mill became one of Georgia’s largest and most influential textile mills, helping shape the economy and community life of Floyd County for more than a century. Saturday morning, guests will be served breakfast at the DeSoto Theatre, the first theater in the South designed specifically for “talkies.” Saturday night, guests will enjoy dinner and cocktails at Broad and Fifth, a beautifully restored building located in the heart of downtown Rome.
A wide variety of registration options are available. To learn more or purchase tickets, visit GeorgiaTrust.org.
