Theodore Roosevelt made several visits to the Atlanta area during and after his presidency. During these visits, he reconnected with his family history, seeing places he had only heard about from his mother. On one occasion, he made a tribute to the legacy of his mother and grandparents. In 1914, he presented the Roswell Presbyterian Church in Roswell, Georgia with a gift: a colorful stained glass window.
Roosevelt’s mother, Martha “Mittie” Stewart Bulloch, grew up in historic Roswell, Georgia. Her parents were Major James S. Bulloch and Martha Stewart Elliott, founding members of the Roswell Presbyterian Church in 1839 and prominent local landowners. That same year, their house Bulloch Hall had been built by slaves. Mittie Bulloch later married Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. in Bulloch Hall.
Pictured here is the lower third of the Bulloch-Roosevelt window. It was recently donated to the Presbyterian Heritage Center and is on display in the lobby.
The Atlanta Friends for Presbyterian Heritage met this past weekend at Roswell Presbyterian Church. The program featured, among other things, an overview of Roswell Presbyterian Church history – including its occupation by Union troops during the Civil War and its connection to U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
The Presbyterian Heritage Center gathers Presbyterians from across Atlanta for a free program each year on our faith heritage and for a time of fellowship. The informal Atlanta Friends group started in 2015. Contact the Presbyterian Heritage Center to learn more.
Today’s post written by Aspen Reynolds, fellow, and Katelyn Powell, Archaeology & Historical Studies Consultant.
Art, Facts, and Artifacts 