Oak Hill Berry Museum

Oak Hill-The Martha Berry Museum

Oak Hill-The Martha Museum is a museum that describing information on the home and life of Berry College founder Martha Berry who dedicated herself to improving the lives of others like education for Berry schools. The museum is in Rome, Georgia.

Oak Hill

Oak Hill is a 170-acre estate Greek revival mansion. Oak Hill has outbuildings, gardens, and many deer. Oak Hill was believed to be a house built before beginning of American Civil War. During the Civil War, the Oakhill was housed by Union troops and was a headquarters during the Civil War after the capture of Rome during The Atlanta Campaign. The estate of Oak Hill was purchased by her father Thomas Berry in 1871 where Martha Berry was raised and lived until her death in 1942 and made Oak Hill into a mansion.

Oak Hill has little history of restoration and renovations. The mansion was once destroyed by a fire after the Civil War but was later restored. In early 20th century, the mansion was renovated including addition of the portico on the rear of the mansion. On October 1972, Oak Hill was opened as a museum to public including first Berry school cabin, cottage of Berry's cook, Martha "Aunt Martha" Freeman, garage of displayed vintage Ford vehicles, and designed garden that located on the side of Oak Hill where the visitors can see beautiful view during Springtime.

Martha Berry Museum

Martha Berry Museum was designed by Atlanta architect Samuel Inman Cooper as a small portion of Oak Hill that displayed dozen of famous paintings including Henry Ford's picture, belongings of Berry Family and Berry School and students. The second floor houses the art collection of Miss Berry's sister Eugenia, wife of Prince Enrico of Italy, the collection includes paintings by both Italian and American artists and spans nearly 1000 years of art. Other rooms are offices of museum directors.

Oak Hill and the Martha Berry Museum is an All-America Selections Display Garden, on the register of Historic sites, and an AAA Star Attraction.

ee also

Berry College
Martha Berry

References

*Blackburn, Joyce, "Martha Berry: A Woman of Courageous Spirit and Bold Dreams: A Biography", Peachtree Publishers (September 1992), ISBN 1561450715.

*Unknown author, "Martha Berry, the Sunday Lady of Possum Trot", New Library Press (January 1, 2007), ISBN 079500608X.

External links

* [http://www.berry.edu/oakhill/ Official Oak Hill Berry Museum Website]
* [http://my.georgia.org/net/org/info.aspx?s=19546.0.27.3011 Georgia Tourist Information - Berry Museum]
* [http://roadsidegeorgia.com/site/oakhill.html Georgia Roadside - Oak Hill]
* [http://roadsidegeorgia.com/site/marthaberrymuseum.html Georgia Roadside - Martha Berry Museum]