A professional appraiser will guide Roswell residents through Barrington Hall's decorative arts collection on Saturday, August 15, showing visitors how to read the stories hidden in 19th-century furniture and craftsmanship.
The free, one-hour program starts at 11 a.m. at Barrington Hall, 535 Barrington Drive. The event is open to the public.
Courtney Ahlstrom Christy of Atlanta-based Ahlstrom Appraisals will lead the tour, focusing on select pieces from the hall's collection. Christy holds a master's degree in the history of decorative arts from Smithsonian Associates/Corcoran College of Art & Design and a bachelor's in art history from University College Cork in Ireland. Before founding her firm in 2015, she served as senior appraiser at Heritage Auctions, America's largest auction house, and held a fellowship at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
During the tour, Christy will walk visitors through the same guided observations she uses when appraising a piece: Where did it come from, and who made it? How does its style reflect the design conventions of its era? Do construction details or markings reveal its age, region, or maker?
"It's been quite the adventure with no two days alike," Christy said of her career in an April 2026 Voyage ATL profile, describing a path that began with making art and visiting museums as a child and led through graduate school and auction houses.
The program is part of History Seek Saturdays, a recurring series at Roswell's Historic House Museums presented by the museums and the City of Roswell. A previous installment explored colonial Georgia and Roswell's founding families.
Barrington Hall itself is an 1842 Greek Revival home built by town co-founder Barrington King on the highest point in Roswell. The house, designed by architect Willis Ball, remained in the King family until 1995 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The City of Roswell purchased the property in 2005 and restored it with many original family possessions. Its seven-acre grounds include the only antebellum public garden in metro Atlanta.
Admission is always free.
The hall's regular museum hours are Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Upcoming at Roswell's Historic House Museums
- Saturday, August 15, 11 a.m. — History Seek Saturdays: Decorative Arts Exploration, Barrington Hall, 535 Barrington Drive. Free.
