Bulloch Hall and the movement toward a well-rounded interpretation of antebellum life in Roswell, Georgia

Using Eichstedt and Small's 2002 study of plantation museums, MacCannell's theory of staged authenticity, and Modlin's theory of production myths as frameworks, this chapter evaluates the interpretation of slavery at Bulloch Hall, a city-run antebellum house museum located just north of Atlanta in Roswell, Georgia. The Greek Revival mansion was the childhood home of Mittie Bulloch, the mother of President Theodore Roosevelt, and the historic house tour focuses on describing the life of an upper-class, white family before the Civil War. Arguing that the tour presents a misleading “good owners” narrative about the slaveholding Bulloch family, this chapter examines the intersection of docent and visitor biases at Bulloch Hall. Racial biases influence selectivity in the anecdotes relayed about enslaved people at Bulloch Hall on the guided tour while simultaneously leading docents and tourists to identify with the white slaveowners, centering the slavemaster's perspective of antebellum life to the exclusion of other narratives. Stakeholders, including City of Roswell management, have taken steps toward making the tour more inclusive. This chapter addresses these adjustments and suggests additional strategies for Bulloch Hall to establish a well-rounded narrative for tourists and the public memory of the antebellum South.