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Current Details of Tour
Agenda for Both Days
Download the 2-day Agenda above
Southern Peach T’s Tour of Berry College
October 22 2022, Saturday
It is our desire as a club to have a leisurely drive in our Model T’s through a lovely scenic area, stopping for photos and conversation.
1) Meet with club president Darin Hull in Cartersville for breakfast at Ross’s Diner, leave about 9. Follow him on Chulio Road towards Rome to the old rock Mathis Store where Lester Brookshire, a Berry graduate and T club member, will lead us in his 1927 burgundy Model T coupe to Martha Berry Museum parking lot. The front gate opens at 9:30. 7 miles.
2) 10 am, Museum opens. Lester prepaid 10 tickets to hold reservation. Let’s park our T’s in front, rest behind. Lester will meet with Allison Moor, Director of Oak Hill and Historic Buildings. We can adjust number of tickets as needed. Rest rooms are available in museum. Tickets include a guided tour of Oak Hill, exploring it’s grounds, and entrance to the museum. A gift shop is in the museum.
3) The one-room log cabin on museum right is where Miss Berry (1865-1942) taught Bible stories to mountain children. It was built shortly after the Civil War for Martha and other family children as a playhouse. In the 1890’s mountain children starting coming to hear her Bible stories. Soon the cabin overflowed and Possum Trot School was established, then Berry Schools and Berry College. This cabin is the site of the birthplace of Berry College. No parking here.
4) Drive T’s to Oak Hill, Martha Berry’s 1880’s home, for photos. (In 1871, Captain Berry bought the land with a farm house; he built Oak Hill in the 1880’s but we don’t have an exact date.) Other vehicles please stay in museum parking lot and walk 2 minutes up hill or ride shuttle. Thanks for letting T’s get photos without other cars in way, hoping other visitors will do same. The college is open to the public and we have no control over them. Saturday is high volume visitor day.
5) Take a guided tour of Oak Hill, reserved for 11 am with our tickets, and Freeman’s Cottage, 30 minutes. Limit of 15 at a time. (If we have over 15 who wish to do this, can split group so one part does home while other part sees carriage house and grounds, then switch.)
6) Go on walking tour of the grounds. Start with the carriage house to left of mansion which is our chief objective as this contains two Model T’s, one Henry Ford gave to Martha Berry. Rest rooms in the carriage house.
7) Return to museum to collect our other vehicles. If anyone wants to walk through museum they may but with time restraints may not be practical. There is a 30 minute movie on history of the school available made in 1964. Lester and his wife Wanda are extras in the movie.
8) Lunch at Landmark Restaurant 2740 Martha Berry Highway, suggested as is close, about 2 miles, local, has a varied menu, and plenty of parking if anyone wishes to trailer their T’s and meet us there for rest of tour.
9) Follow Lester to Berry College (Founded 1902, world’s largest campus, 27,000 acres.) Main Entrance 2277 Martha Berry Highway, Mt Berry GA 30149.
10) Show license at gate house and ask for map.
11) Follow Lester’s burgundy ’27 coupe to:
A) Ford “castle” Buildings, 1922. Henry donated the money to build this complex and brought masons from Italy. T’s can park in horseshoe curve for photos. Rest please use public parking across road on left. We can walk inside the quadrangle for a look at the outside of Ford Auditorium, East and West Mary dorms 1931, Clara Hall, 1925 (occupied so please don’t go in any buildings), Ford Dinning Hall. No public restrooms.
B) Return to cars and follow Lester in a circle around Ford Buildings, then drive to Log Cabin Campus for photos, especially Barnwell Chapel, 1911. (Lester and Wanda Brookshire were married here in 1966!) Restroom might be open. If a wedding is taking place, we will stop at the other cabins. Most are occupied so outside only.
C) 4 mile ride to rock Frost Chapel built by Berry students 1937. A paved road to left of chapel can be used for great photos with the chapel in background if no wedding taking place.
D) Scenic ride to Old Mill 1930 and largest waterwheel in country, 42 feet diameter, dirt road, 2.7 miles.
E) Next, a 3 mile dirt road to Possum Trot School, 1850, cradle of Berry College as it was the first official school. It was a deserted church when Miss Berry took it over. There is a special event at 6, a Haunted History Tour. We can leave long before that starts. (Main college gate closes at 6.)
F) After Possum Trot, we will return to the main campus, through some interesting areas, and stop at Roosevelt Cabin for photos. Named because this is where President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt chose to stay when he visited the campus in 1910. The cabin was designed for Martha Berry by Captain John Gibbs Barnwell, architect for Berry Schools, in 1902.
G) We can stop behind Krannert Center for group discussions and have a rest room break. Restrooms are available in the center, just remember gate at entrance closes at 6. H) Our president Darin Hull will give you instructions on what your next destination will be as you head back to the Cartersville area. He has stated he wants everyone back before dark.
Video of Day 1 Tour Sites
Thanks to your guide,
Lester Brookshire
Mapping of Major Locations
Ross Diner
17 N Wall St Cartersville, GA 30120
https://goo.gl/maps/qon1iSVfSnHUnNE6A
Euharlee Bridge
108-274 Covered Bridge Rd Euharlee, GA 30120
Savoy Automobile Museum
3 Savoy Lane Cartersville, GA 30120
Photos of Tour Stops – Both Days
Saturday, October 22nd
(agenda is fluid and flexible. You can participate in all stops or meet where you can)
8:00 am – Meet for breakfast at Ross Diner, Cartersville – Rally point beginning of drive from Cartersville to Rome, GA.
9:00 am – Start drive from Cartersville to Berry College in Rome. (31 Miles) Link Here for Map
10:00 am – Gather and park at the Oak Hill Museum.
Model Ts only drive to the Martha Berries home. Photo op.
Tour Martha Berry home grounds. Photo op.
Noon – Lunch at Landmark Restaurant
Drive to Waterwheel. Photo op.
Drive to Ford Buildings built in a gothic castle style in 1925. Photo op.
Drive to Possum Trot Church. Photo op.
5:00 pm – Drive from Rome to Cartersville before dusk.
Dinner TBD
Sunday, October 23rd
(agenda is fluid and flexible. You can participate in all stops or meet where you can)
10:00 am – Gather at Savoy Museum, 3 Savoy Lane, Cartersville GA
Noon Lunch – Savoy Cafe at Museum, indoor and outdoor dining.
1:00 pm – Optional Drive to Harley Covered Bridge. Photo op.
Drive to downtown Cartersville. Photo op.
Bartow County Domed Courthouse building. Photo op.
Cartersville Train Station. Photo op.
Adjourn early. Safe travels!