'A Gem of a City': Popular History Book Returns to William Root House

MARIETTA — Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society has announced the long-awaited return of its 432-page volume of Marietta history, “Marietta: The Gem City of Georgia.”

The book has returned to the shelves at the William Root House Museum and Garden gift shop, after two years of being out of print.

Researched and written by Douglas Frey, the book offers an in-depth exploration of 50 historic Marietta homes and the families that lived in them. There are around 300 color photos of the interior and exterior of the homes, featuring a variety of architectural styles and antique family heirlooms, all photographed by the late Jim DiVitale, as well as a variety of archival photographs.

Cobb Landmarks originally published the book in 2010. Since then, the book has remained highly popular among Marietta residents, becoming increasingly hard to find after final copies sold out in 2022, said Cobb Landmarks Executive Director Trevor Beemon.

“Every week, people would come into (the gift shop) looking for that book,” Beemon said.

Sheena Yoe, visitor services and event rentals coordinator at the Root House, said that some copies were even being sold on Amazon for $800 to $1,000.

Despite the demand, Cobb Landmarks, a nonprofit funded primarily through private donations, was unable to reprint the books due to the high cost, Beemon said.

“We held off on it until, recently, the stars aligned,” he said, referring to a recent $10,000 donation that allowed the group to begin publication again.

He added that they found a new printer in the United States, who he hopes will be able to print books with them moving forward.

“And hopefully not run out of them again,” Beemon said.

Yoe said the books have been going fast. Since putting them on shelves, she said 68 of the 100 reprints ordered have been sold.

“People have wanted them as gifts,” Yoe said, adding that the books are great for the holidays or a housewarming party.

The popularity of the books likely comes from people’s curiosity, Beemon said. People drive by the historic houses daily, many of which are located along Whitlock and Kennesaw avenues and Church and Cherokee streets, he said.

“They see these houses every day from the outside but they don’t know what they look like on the inside,” Beemon said. “And sometimes they don’t pause to reflect on all the people that it took to build the community that they’re enjoying.”

He said the book is a unique glimpse into the lives of people who call the historic buildings home.

“(Frey’s) book goes beyond the houses. He talks about the people that live in them, the buildings on the Square that they owned,” Beemon said.

Yoe believes the book captures the essence and beauty of Marietta.

“As the title suggests, we are a gem of a city,” she said.

According to Beemon, the catchphrase was chosen as the title in order to bring the once-common nickname back in style.

The nickname comes from a 19th century brochure for the Western and Atlantic Railroad which advertised the various cities along the railroad, referring to Marietta as “the little Gem City of Georgia.”

From T-shirts to business names, Beemon said the nickname has since made a comeback in the community, largely thanks to Frey’s book.

Yoe hopes that the book will teach residents more about the importance of historic preservation.

“If we don’t preserve the beauty that we’re surrounded with in our architecture, in our landscape, then what’s the point of any of it,” she asked.

“They’re not building any more of them like this, these (houses) are special.”

Because the book was written nearly 15 years ago, some of the houses no longer exist, and others have been modified, Beemon said.

There’s been some discussion between Frey and Beemon of doing a second edition in the future, addressing houses that may have been left out or have since been demolished.

“It’s important to capture those stories, especially local history, because a lot of times you learn about famous people, or large cities, but that local information gets lost,” Beemon said.

For those interested in learning more about local history, Beemon suggests an additional book sold at the Root House: “The First Hundred Years: A Short History of Cobb County” written by Sarah Temple in the 1930s.

To get a firsthand look at some of the historic homes featured in the book, Yoe suggests the Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour in December. More information about the event can be found at https://www.mariettapilgrimage.com/.

“Marietta: The Gem City of Georgia” is available for purchase only at the William Root House Gift Shop on North Marietta Parkway. The cost is $100 or 20% off with a Cobb Landmarks membership, according to Beemon.

The museum and gift shop are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, visit https://www.williamroothouse.com/.