Historical Points of Interest
Roswell has quite a bit of history associated with it, as part of the "Old South," and there is no shortage of historical homes to tour.
Bulloch Hall, built in 1839, is perhaps the most well-known of the historical mansions. Bulloch Hall was the childhood home of Mittie Bulloch, who married Theodore Roosevelt Sr. right in the dining room! The mansion is open for tours seven days a week until 3pm.
The Smith Plantation, built in 1845, is another historical home that used to serve as the main building on a 300-acre cotton plantation. Since its construction, the Smith Plantation has been the home of three generations of Smiths, who saved all of their possessions both large and small. The house, grounds and outbuildings are also open for tours daily until 3pm.
Unique Shopping
Canton Street, in downtown Roswell, is not only home to our reception venue but also a major destination for antique dealers, art galleries, coffee shops and restaurants. If you enjoy meandering through specialty shops or checking out antiques, we recommend that you spend some time between the wedding mass and the reception taking a walk down Canton Street to see what neat things you can find!
Some highlights include:
- Coffee Buy the Book, where you can enjoy a variety of drinks while checking out a vast selection of new and old books in a quaint old house;
- American Sampler (959 Canton St.), which features work by a variety of local and nationally-recognized folk artists;
- The Chandlery, where you can find unique upscale gifts;
- Plum Tree Village (1035 Canton St.) which is a collection of restored buildings from the 1800s that houses several shops and galleries;
- Heaven Blue Rose, Roswell's premiere contemporary art gallery.
- Canton Street Antique Market is a huge building housing booths by antique dealers and local crafts. It's really easy to lose track of time in here, beware!
Dining
There are a variety of restaurants in the Roswell and Alpharetta area, ranging from unique Southern fare to your favorite chain restaurants. While we don't recommend that you eat between the wedding mass and the reception (there will be plenty of food, don't worry!), here is a list of some great local restaurants for lunch on Saturday or Sunday.
- Alpha Soda, which serves new twists on old favorites, breakfast all day long, and a variety fountain-style beverages and desserts.
- The Fickle Pickle features Southern comfort food with a modern twist.
- Rice Thai Cuisine, which is absolutely delicious if you enjoy Thai food.
- The Swallow at the Hollow serves traditional Southern BBQ, and often features live music.
- Greenwoods (1087 Green St.) apparently lacks a website, but has been continually heralded as an amazing spot to enjoy a "Californian" take on Southern comfort food.
- Brookwood Grill, which is close to the Doubletree Hotel, offers plenty of steaks and seafood.
- Mario's Pizza serves great New York-style pizza and (huge!) tasty calzones, as well as other Italian favorites.
- J. Christopher's has several locations around Roswell and Alpharetta, and is an awesome place for breakfast, lunch or brunch.
- Atlanta Bread Co. is starting to spread out into other states, but this is where it all began. Delicious sandwiches, soups and salads, and plenty of fresh-baked bread.
If you poke around on your own while you're planning your trip and find a place you'd like to try, Elisabeth would be happy to weigh in or find someone else who will! Just send an email.
If you'd like to play it safe (or if you forget anything important you need for the wedding), North Point Mall is very close by off of GA-400. There are a lot of great shops inside and around the mall, but it's often very crowded, so visit at your own risk!
