An Unplanned Stop in Macon, GA (GART - Stop 11)

After traveling for an eternity to get my arse out of Florida (including an overnight stop in Gainesville), I finally hit the Georgia-Florida state line. I said it before but it bears repeating: Florida is a fecking boring ass state to drive through. Knowing that I couldn't check into my hotel in Atlanta until 4pm, I had to kill a couple of hours before hitting the Atlanta metro region. Before leaving Gainesville this morning, I took a quick look at my USA travel guide and decided to make a stop in Macon based on their recommendation to visit the Hay House Museum.

Entry hall

Built between 1855 and 1859, Johnston-Felton-Hay House, abbreviated Hay House, is a historic residence in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, which is unusual for an antebellum (pre-Civil War) home. It was built by William Butler Johnston for his wife Anne Tracy Johnston. "The 18,000-square-foot, 24-room home designed by the New York architect T. Thomas and Son has four levels and is crowned by a three-story cupola. Commissioned by imaginative owners and constructed by the most skillful workers of the time, its technological amenities were unsurpassed in the mid-nineteenth century: hot and cold running water, central heat, a speaker-tube system connecting 15 rooms, a French lift equivalent to today's elevator, in-house kitchen, and an elaborate ventilation system" (Wikipedia).

The dining room with the "Tiffany" window

The house has been the home for three families only - the Johnston family, the Feltons (Mrs. Felton was the youngest Johnston daughter), and the Hays (who purchased the house from the Felton son when his parents died). Upon the death of Mr. and Mrs. Hay, the Hay children opened the house for visitors before turning it over to the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. 

This house is stunning. The Trust has painstakingly refurbished approximately 75% of the home and plan on restoring the rest. There were several things that I loved about this house. There were the most amazing pocket doors in each of the rooms on the main level. There were some brilliant stained glass windows tastefully placed around the house. It's possible that one is a Tiffany window (in the dining room), but they're not positive. Much of the inspiration for the house came from the three year European honeymoon that the Johnstons took in the mid-1800s. While the house was completed before the Civil War, the decorating of the house was not completed until after the Civil War ended. Interestingly, in addition to tours, the house is also available for events, such as weddings, receptions, banquets, and such. I cannot imagine the cost of renting this space for a wedding, but it would make for a spectacular venue for a special event.

No photographs were allowed during the tour, so there aren't any to post to my GART photo site. The few photos with this posting, I found on the internet. Gotta love the internet.

This weekend, my plan is to see some of the historic sites of Atlanta. Stay tuned.

The Living room showing the pocket doors