Building on History for Progress
The romantic notions of southern living, captured in the historic homes, form a gracious foundation for Maconites' lifestyles. Strong neighborhood associations, public safety departments, churches, and volunteer organizations work to create a peaceful environment for families and businesses to grow. The hundreds of parks designed by the city planners thrive even today, welcoming afternoon strolls and family picnics. All around Macon, recreational acivities beckon. The Macon Braves play in one of the nation's five oldest ball parks and nearly any sport, social club, or support organization can be found in the area.
Locals say the Indians who lived in this area long ago believed that once someone drinks the water here, no matter how far away that person travels, he or she will return to Macon.
The city's wisteria, roses, or freshly cut
lawns fill the air with sweet scents.
Photography by Ken Krakow.
"The biggest small-town city," as one long time resident called Macon, offers all the amenities of a major metropolitan area without the traffic, pollution, or costs. Instead of rush-hour car horns, Macon's church bells chime out the time of day in downtown. Rather than smog, the the city's wisteria, roses, or freshly cut lawns fill the air with sweet scents; its air purity effectively meets all national quality standards. Additionally, while some metropolitan areas implement even minute methods to raise revenue, Macon seeks to maintain its low cost of living. The city removed its parking meters in the 1980s, a welcome oddity when other locales now require quarters-only in their meters and charge hefty parking violation fines. City and county taxes remain modest and Georgia's income tax ranks 28th in the nation. Macon's full range of affordable housing, from decorative historic apartment buildings to well-kept suburban developments, stands out aswell. According to the 1990 census for MSAs, Macon's $59,300 median value for housing compared favorably to the national average of $79,100. The median gross rent here of $364 also measured less than the national average.
Beyond the city's quantifiable
attributes, Macon's remarkable sense of
community seems to be one of the most
prevailing reasons residents stay here. It
crosses economic lines, interlocks diverse
cultural groups, and strengthens neighborhoods.
It's as simple as two friends
waving hello at the grocery store and as
complex as rebuilding flood-damaged
areas in 1994. This personal sense of
belonging to the city-and the city
belonging to residents-forms a patchwork
of smaller micro-communities
quilted into the warmth of one large,
dynamic community. The Indians may
have believed the water bound people
to this area, but more likely it's Macon's
inviting quality of life that makes so
many people call the city "home."
Homes, Sweet Homes
The architectural potpourri in Macon enhances the city's picturesque appeal and offers a style to suit nearly every home-buyer's preference, from antebellum to contemporary. Often, the most ardent modernists fall under the spell of Macon's captivating historical structures. Styles such as Federal, Gothic Revival, Romanesque Neo-Gothic, French Second Empire, Italian Renaissance Revival, Tuscan-Victorian, Queen Ann Victorian, and High Victorian Gothic trace the influences prominent duning the city's first 100 years. Early Macon architects, such as Elam Alexander and, later, Neel Reid, gained considerable recognition for their work. Several of Reid's beautiful, moderately sized, Victorian-era homes continue to serve as breathtaking private residences as do many of the city's stately mansions
Awe-inspiring carved Georgia marble, intricate ironworks, dazzling stained-glass windows, and magnificent brick masonry almost seem commonplace along Macon's streets. Recently, the Macon Heritage Foundation began compiling information about the black artisans and craftsmen who deserve credit for much of the city's architectural legacy. The Foundation's research discovered that the American Institute of Architects' first black member, Richard Walker, came from Macon. Although the city's early black tradesmen were well known within construction circles for their fine work, the history books of the segregation days failed to properly record their accomplishments.
A greater appreciation for the city's historic architecture in
recent decades helped place ten districts on the National Register
of Historic Places. Two of these districts, Shirley Hills and Pleasant
Hill, were built almost entirely by the hands of the city's talented
black tradesmen. All ten historic areas together cover about 2,000
acres - a total among the largest in the country. Many families
choose to settle in these charming older areas, accepting the challenges
of restoration and renovation while enjoying the quaint
brick sidewalks, authentic gas streetlights, and mature shade trees
that sprang from the city's youth. The historical districts' neighborhood
associations actively promote restoration and preservation,
in addition to social affairs. "Porch parties," hosted on the front
verandas of the antiquated homes, have become a favorite reincarnation
of an old-fashioned pastime.
Neighborhoods Find Strength in Numbers
The Macon Telegraph lists homes tor sale by 13 residential areas, but many of these further divide into smaller community clusters. Like the historic districts, the more modern areas often support strong neighborhood associations. Most of the newer subdivisions even require a residential organization in the covenants. For families moving from another state or just across town, active neighborhood groups encourage new friendships and build a more immediate sense of belonging. The community organizations also help maintain the beauty of their areas and they frequendy create a protective safety network. Either through informal positive relations with the police department or by implementing a formal Neighborhood Watch, residents work together to ensure the peacefulness of their communities.
Toward the same goal, officers patrol the city on bicycles, on foot, or in high-tech vehicles. A mounted patrol attends many public events, such as parades and street parties. Between the Macon Police Department and the Bibb County Sheriff s Department, about 500 officers protect and serve citizens. The Macon-Bibb County Fire Department also operates 18 stations strategically located throughout the county. Supporting these departments, the Emergency Management Agency provides enhanced 911 service to identify the name, address, and phone number of a caller for superior emergency personnel response. Macon is the only municipality in the United States to combine a police department accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies and a fire department with an Insurance Service Office Class 1 rating.
"I've lived in quite a few places," commented a
successful realtor, "but we came here to raise our family.
People know each other-they watch out for each
other. To me, it's home."
The Religious Community Reaches Out
Macon has approximately 260 places of worship including churches,
synagaogues, and mosques in more than 40 denominations.
Photography by Ken Krakow.
The earliest congregations met in Macon just as thc city was establishing itself in the 1820s. Before paved streets, construction began on many of the area's landmark churches. The Christ Episcopal members gathered to worship in 1825 and built their church in 1852. The First Presbyterian congregation formed in 1826 and moved into their church on Mulberry Street in 1858; in 1838 its black members created the Washington Avenue Presbyterian Church, the oldest black Presbyterian church in the state. Similarly, the First Baptist Church, organized in 1826 and settled in its impressive structure by 1887 on the corner of Poplar Street and High Place, spurred several other major Baptist congregations in the area. One of these, the First Baptist Church on New Street, was formed by black worshippers 25 years before emancipation. Another of the historic churches, St. Joseph's Catholic Church, began in 1841, but the dedication of the brick twin-spired church near the crest of Poplar Street waited until 1903.
Today, Macon houses approximately 260 places of worship, including churches, synagogues, and mosques in more than 40 denominations. Of these, nearly 20 also offer pre-school, elementary, or secondary schools. Some of the denominations are also associated with residential facilities for foster children or disadvantaged youth, such as The Methodist Home for Children and Youth, on Pierce Avenue. This facility has operated for over 120 years in Macon. It was also a Methodist minister, Rev. W.E. Mumford, who founded the Georgia Industrial Children's Home on 200 acres here in 1899; it still welcomes youngsters today. A school teacher, Bettie Tyler, formed the Hephzibah Children's Home in 1900 and it moved to Macon in 1912, where it continues to offer its residents on-campus instruction. The only private children's home, the Masonic Home of Georgia, covers about 650 acres and operates under the ownership and funding of the Masons of Georgia.
Places of worship also serve most every community as a forum for social gatherings, and this is especially true here. Frequently, newcomers from other regions are taken aback when Maconites ask "Would you like to attend our church?" It's a compliment to be invited, tantamount to a personal welcome to the community. Historians point out that in other parts of the country where legions of immigrants created religious tensions, the South remained relatively homogenous and considered its places of worship also as community centers. So great is the participation in church-related activities here, that many civic organizations forego Wednesday-night meetings because that's when most choirs rehearse!
As civil rights issues gained momentum in the 1940s, churches also became catalysts for involvement, while they reinforced the call for nonviolent methods. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke at Steward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1957. Four years after his visit, about 15 black Macon youths refused to sit at the back of a public bus; their actions led to a bus boycott, and sit-ins and picketing followed. One group of black men wore white hats to symbolize their belief in nonviolence, helping Macon avoid the riots and tragedies other cities experienced.
Sometimes the activists went elsewhere to work toward civil
rights. In 1965, numerous young black Maconites participated in
"Bloody Sunday" at Selma, Alabama, while marching, the 54 miles
from Selma to Montgomery for the subsequent rally. Many of
those who marched with Dr. King or led the early campaigns for
civil nghts retained respected leadership positions in the following
decades. In 1995, Macon lost one of the foremost of these leaders,
William P. Randall, the first black director of the Greater Macon
Chamber of Commerce and a former president of the city's NAACP
branch. The necessary changes and the end to segregation were
admittedly somewhat slow in Macon, but through the efforts of
color-blind leadership, a progressive attitude toward race relations
prevails today.
Volunteers and Organizations Working Together
A positive approach to solving community problems, a spirit of cooperation, and a simple desire to help has created more than 200 organizations and support groups in the area. Almost all of the places of worship operate some type of outreach program; businesses, too, actively donate time and money to help those in need. They bring meals to the housebound. They give toys, clothing, and school supplies to children. They visit nursing homes. They touch lives. Local organizations and many branches affiliated with national social agencies bring hope to the underprivileged and disadvantaged. National offices here. Peyton Tooke Anderson, Jr., one of Macon's prominent leaders until his death in 1988, stipulated in his will that the majority of his estate be used for charitable purposes. Today the Peyton Anderson Foundation supports an assortment of volunteer organizations' efforts. So many groups, religious or secular, voluntarily help the community that a central organization, Volunteer Macon, Inc., formed as a United Way agency in the 1970s to match those willing to work with the tasks at hand. In the last two decades, over 19,000 people have donated about 452,000 hours to help the 125 agencies connected to Volunteer Macon. The plaza at the Walnut Street entrance to Central City Park honors one of Macon's most outstanding volunteers, Benny A. Scott. Besides dedicating his life to helping others, this humanitarian is credited as one of the first black railroad engineers in the South.
Youth groups are involved with The Booker T. Washington Community Center's
annual Jazz, Arts Festival which has been staged in Macon for over 30 years.
Photography provided by The Booker T. Washington Community Center.
A corps of volunteers also plays a vital role in raising the quality of
life here by supporting the city's many community centers and youth
groups. The Ruth Hartley Mosely Memonal Women's Center, named
for one of the first licensed female morticians in the United States, is
located on Spring Street in Mosely's historic home and serves as a
vocational resource for young women. The Booker T. Washington
Community Center founded in 1939 in the Pleasant Hill Historic
District, offers a wide range of educational,
cultural, and social programs for 3-year old children to senior
citizens. The Center for Children and Youth opened in 1992 with an
emphasis on the arts, and the Macon Bibb County Parks and
Recreation Department's seven recreation centers present families
with an assortment of exciting and helpful activities, workshops,
and classes. These centers also provide opportunities for senior
citizens and physically or mentally disabled residents to enjoy
recreational activities. In addition, various youth organizations,
such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Girl Scouts of America, Boy
Scouts of America, 4-H, Boys & Girls Club, and many others,
bring together the talents and dedication of adult volunteers
to provide role models for Macon's future leaders.
Making a Difference
The Macon Clean Community system has won numerous prestigious
awards, including the only Keep America Beautiful international award.
Photography by Dorothy Hibbert Krakow.
Thousands of Maconites volunteer their time to enhance the city. Often just picking up litter and recycling does a tremendous service to the community. The Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission coordinates several of the larger environmental projects. Macon served as one of three test sites for the very first Keep America Beautiful Clean Community system over 20 years ago and became one of the national models for the program. The city's Clean Community system has won numerous prestigious awards, including the only Keep America Beautiful international award. The Macon Clean Community system is also the only one of 450 to operate in its own headquarters. Today, Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful coordinates over 100 organizations, businesses, families, and individuals who have "adopted" highways, streets, parks, or spots anywhere in Bibb County. The organization also oversees community-based energy conservation and recycling efforts, and it serves as the parent organization to Macon's internationally known Cherry Blossom Festival. The Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful workshops, educational programs, and community involvement projects have made a difference in changing attitudes about recycling, dumping, solid-waste management, and pollution.
The colorful gardens adorning homes and parks in the area require quite a bit of attention and effort, and Macon is fortunate to count many green-thumbs among its dedicated residents. Often, these horticulturists join the many garden and flower clubs in the area. The Federated Garden Clubs of Macon, located in a Neel Reid home built in 1910, first organized in 1934 and now counts over 600 members from 22 clubs. The American Camellia Society, founded at the Dempsey Hotel in Macon in 1945, is headquartered at Massee Lane Camellia Gardens in nearby Fort Valley. The Society names and registers new camellia varieties and shares information with its 4,000 members. The popularity of camellias attracts visitors every spring to Massee Lane when its 2,000 plants become a living bouquet of vibrant pink, white, and red blossoms.
Social, fraternal, and
civic clubs of all types
invite membership
around the Macon area.
Homemakers, quilters,
needlepointers, musicians, computer users,
clowns, bridge players,
retirees - virtually everybody with a hobby or special interest can
easily find an active group to join. In addition, multiple business
organizations, from Rotary to Toastmasters, offer opportunities to
"network" and contribute to the community. Most formed as
branches of national associations. A notable converse exception is
Pilot International, which began here in 1921 and grew to serve
business and communities all over the world. On a local level, the
Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce brings business owners,
managers, and local leaders together to voluntarily help fulfill its
mission: "To advance the economic, civic, and cultural growth of
Middle Georgia, to enhance the quality of life in the community,
and to foster continuous improvement of the greater Macon area
as a place in which to live and conduct business." For newcomers
and for residents, participating in any of these organizations
promises introductions to new friends and a
casual education on the fascinating history
and contemporary progressiveness of Macon.
A Team Spirit
Macon's four seasons encourage a tremendous variety of sports activities. The mild winters preclude hockey and downhill skiing or any other winter sport requiring snow or ice, but residents can participate in virtually all other popular pastimes. Most of the public and private schools sponsor football, basketball, baseball, and other athletic programs for boys and girls. Reportedly, the very first football game played in Georgia took place at Porter Stadium in 1925 when the University of Georgia team trounced the Mercer University players, 50 to 0.
For children and adults, the opportunities to join teams or fine-tune individual physical abilities are boundless. The YWCA welcomes new membership, offering a swimming pool and gymnasium, and a wealth of classes for all ages. Other health clubs or wellness facilities promote physical fitness and healthful living, too. Under the direction of the Macon-Bibb County Parks and Recreation Department, programs for swimming, tennis, soccer, basketball, and softball attract kids and adults. Through this department, citizens also enjoy access to an 18-hole municipal golf course and 36 lighted tennis courts in two tennis centers. The John Drew Smith Tennis Center, with 24 courts, has been recognized as one of the top 25 public tennis facilities in the United States and often hosts toumaments. Annually, the Macon-Bibb County Parks and Recreation Department coordinates The Flag City Shoot-Out, the world's largest softball tournament. About 700 teams bring 20,000 people here for the event held in Central City Park. Additionally, private clubs offer members tennis, goff, swimming, and other amenities. Excellent golf courses, some privately owned but open to the public, surround the city and it's an easy drive to the golfer's paradise in Augusta.
The Macon Braves, a Single A offiliate of the Atlanta Braves,
play at the historic Luther Williams Field in Central City Park.
Photography by Ken Krakow.
Throughout Macon, the clubs or league teams for boxing, bowling, darts, billiards, archery, and too many more to name, encourage novice and experienced enthusiasts to join. Several Maconites have earned recognition for their abilities in these types of sports over the years. In 1931, the world heard a lot about Macon when its famed fighter, W.L. "Young" Stribling, Jr, battled Max Schmeling for the heavyweight championship. Although Stribling lost, proud Maconites named the Spring Street bridge in his honor.
For those who walk or jog, or simply take pleasure from strolling, Macon boasts 1,296 acres of parks in both the city and county. A favorite destination is Lake Tobesofkee, which stretches along 35 miles of shoreline. The center attraction of an 1,800-acre, year-round recreation area, Lake Tobesofkee's clean waters invite swimming, fishing, boating, water skiing, and sailing activities. Visitors and residents alike picnic or camp beside the white sand beaches of the lake's three parks. Macon's central location makes it convenient for residents to regularly fish or camp at nearby Lake Juliette, High Falls State Park, Lake Sinclair, or Lake Oconee as well. The more adventurous folks travel the hinter lands of the 5,000-acre Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge southeast of Macon. With the Atlantic Ocean less than three hours away, many Macon residents head to the coast for sporting and sunbathing. Also, hunters and other sportsmen, upon obtaining their permits, can easily drive to any of the state's legal hunting grounds from here.
The nearby racing venues, Twiggs County Raceway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Warner Robins Dragway, deliver fast-paced, hard-driving action for spectators. Racing enthusiasts aren't always spectators, however. Men and women in the Macon area regularly drive in races on the amateur level. "Did you see the finish?" often hails as the dominating Monday-morning, back- to-work question-often confusing other sports fans who think of "the finish" as the last seconds in the weekend's big basketball or football game.
An 1,800-acre year-round recreation area, Lake Tobesofkee's clean waters
invite swimming, fishing, boating, water skiing, and sailing activities.
Photography by Ken Krakow.
Among the spectator sports played here, baseball gets top billing. The Macon Braves, a Single A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, play at the historic Luther Williams Field in Central City Park. This stadium once saw Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, and Pete Rose, among other greats,run the diamond. Today's team still shows a game played with heart and soul. The seats lean in close enough for fans to hear the umpire make the call before it's announced over the PA system. It's pure baseball fun, and it's affordable and with plenty of free parking. Of course, Maconites can easily drive to see the Atlanta Braves. Other professional teams in Atlanta draw ans from this area, too: the Hawks basketball team, the Falcons football team, and the Knights hockey team.
In Macon, the list of things to do or things to watch seems endless. All of the varied experiences this city offers and the positive environment in which it offers them - that's what raises the quality of life beyond any statistics. That's what makes Macon a good place to live and a place to live well.
