Saving Places Index REPORT FRONT COVER, TOP: Downtown Macon at Night

Home , Fort Benjamin Hawkins, Mercer University, Sidney Lanier Cottage, Tubman Museum

Saving Places Index REPORT FRONT COVER, TOP: Downtown Macon at night. © VISIT MACON; BOTTOM: Georgia’s Pan African Festival at the Tubman Museum. © VISIT MACON; BACK COVER: Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. © VISIT MACON

The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come.

Printed on 100% recycled paper. tpl.org © 2021 The Trust for Public Land Saving Places Index REPORT Message from The 1772 Foundation The 1772 Foundation and Historic Macon Foundation are at the forefront of testing a new model for community conservation. The fields of land conservation and historic preservation have been operating in discrete silos in the United States. Yet in the United Kingdom, these fields are blended into one organization that protects special places of all kinds. The broad-based support created by their blended conservation work is extraordinary. We would like to see that model more fully explored in the United States.

Our three groups have been exploring blended community conservation efforts through a new framework. Using facilitated community visioning sessions and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping, we are working on programs that will create integrated whole-community maps, helping citizens from all walks of life to identify and visualize high-priority areas that reflect the character of each unique community. This process is driven solely by the desires of the residents — to protect what matters to them, both land and buildings. The 1772 Foundation has provided over $16 million in funding over the past 10 years to land conservation and revolving funds. It is our goal to explore how we might combine these two efforts using citizen-driven data and holistic maps to create “revolving funds for special places.” We believe that blended conservancies based on data asset mapping are an important model to consider if we are to fully rally people behind holistic community conservation.

Message from The Trust for Public Land The Trust for Public Land is pleased to release this Saving Places Index report for Macon-Bibb County. We are grateful to The 1772 Foundation for its support and to Historic Macon Foundation for its collaboration. Without these partners, this project would not have been possible.

Our work extends beyond this report to include a StoryMap and a decision support tool that will serve the people of Macon for years to come. The strength of this work comes from marrying site-specific data captured by The Trust for Public Land’s Geographic Information System (GIS) team with the historical perspective provided by the community. The resulting report and decision support tool will allow civic leaders to align their goals for land acquisition and historic preservation.

At The Trust for Public Land, we preserve land and create parks for people. For nearly 50 years, we have worked with community, government, and business leaders to understand how parks and public spaces can meet their needs and improve quality of life. We look forward to working with Macon in the years to come to build upon the Saving Places Index and ensure that all residents have access to a safe, quality park.

Thank you again for your collaboration.

ii SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT Preface

Acknowledgments Hundreds of community members helped to create the Macon Saving Places Index, from community members who participated in workshops or used the Saving Places App to local public sector and nonprofit employees who guided our mapping and community engagement as Steering Committee members. This was a collaborative effort from start to finish, and it would not have been possible without the outpouring of community support. This project was made possible through the generous support of The 1772 Foundation. The 1772 Foundation works to ensure the safe passage of our historic buildings and farmland to future generations. We are grateful for its support and vision.

Project Staff

THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND LARA MILLER, GIS Senior Project Manager MATT DIXIT MOFFA, Senior Planning Project Manager LINDSAY WITHERS, Senior Cartography Manager DANNY PAEZ, Cartography Associate PATRICK SMYTH, Senior Manager Web Application Development

HISTORIC MACON FOUNDATION ETHIEL GARLINGTON, Executive Director MATT CHALFA, Director of Preservation Field Services LAUREN MAULDIN, Director of Neighborhood Revitalization

HANBURY PRESERVATION CONSULTING MARY RUFFIN HANBURY, Founding Principal

ADDITIONAL CONSULTANTS JESSICA WALDEN, Community Engagement Specialist

Project Partners THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating parks and protecting land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Since 1972, The Trust for Public Land has helped protect more than three million acres in all 50 states.

HISTORIC MACON FOUNDATION’s mission is to revitalize communities by preserving architecture and sharing history. Historic Macon Foundation (HMF) is a national leader in preservation and a role model for revitalization efforts

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT iii throughout the country. Its innovative real estate tactics, state and federal tax credit consulting services, advocacy efforts with our Fading Five list of endangered places, educational programing, and low-interest loan programs allow Historic Macon to transform communities and demonstrate the powerful impact of saving historic places. HMF has completed nearly 150 houses and kept 25,000 tons of debris out of the landfill. Just since 2014 it has attracted $5.8 million in investments in its target neighborhood, Beall’s Hill. HMF’s work allows citizens to take preservation into their own hands. With the help of the community, they are proving that Macon is preservation.

HANBURY PRESERVATION CONSULTING was established in 2008 to provide a full spectrum of preservation-related planning services to organizations, governments, individuals, and corporate clients. The firm specializes in historic preservation planning, heritage tourism planning, and strategic planning for preservation organizations. The firm’s methodology involves research, community input, and independent assessment to create consensus- based and organizationally driven plans with clear implementation strategies.

Saving Places Index Steering Committee ANISSA JONES, Macon Water Authority BILL CAUSEY, Causey Construction Consulting BRAD BELLO, Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Commission CHRIS SHERIDAN, Sheridan Construction DEMARCUS BECKHAM, New Georgia Project ELLIOT JAMES FERNANDEZ, Visit Macon EMILY HOPKINS, NewTown Macon GERRI MARION MCCORD, Ruth Hartley Mosley Center GREG BROWN, Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Commission HEATHER BOWMAN CUTWAY, Mercer University/College Hill JANIS HALEY, Sidney Lanier Cottage at Historic Macon Foundation KAROL KELLY, UGA Cooperative Extension Office KELLY CORDEIRA, UGA Cooperative Extension Office LES HAMPTON, Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Commission MELISSA JEST, Georgia Historic Preservation Division MYRTLE HABERSHAM, AARP NANCY CLEVELAND, Community Foundation of Central Georgia RACHEL HOLLAR, Bike Walk Macon SETH CLARK, political consultant STEVEN FULBRIGHT, Visit Macon SUSANNAH MADDUX, Macon Magazine

iv SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT Table of Contents

Section 1: Introduction ...... 1

Section 2: Background on Macon-Bibb County ...... 3

Section 3: What Is the Saving Places Index?...... 9

Section 4: Community Engagement ...... 13

Section 5: Spatial Data Analysis Results ...... 21

Section 6: Case Studies ...... 29

Section 7: Closing...... 37

Sources ...... 38

Online Appendices (https://web.tplgis.org/macon/): Appendix 1: GIS Criteria Matrix Appendix 2: Online Survey Results Appendix 3: Stakeholder Interview Summary Appendix 4: Case Study Field Notes

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT v Macon welcomes visitors from around the world who come to see the Yoshina cherry trees in bloom during the International Cherry Blossom Festival. © VISIT MACON SECTION 1 Introduction

Welcome to the Historic Macon Foundation’s Saving Places Index Report. What you’ll discover in this document is a community-driven collaboration that identifies and brings awareness of places that haven’t been recognized or received preservation input before.

Did you realize you can hop on your bike downtown, ride five minutes, and be surrounded by cow pastures? Or did you know there’s berry picking in Lizella? Or consider this — how important is the view from Coleman Hill to you? Shouldn’t we consider it a place worth preserving for generations to come?

Macon’s Saving Places Index (SPI) will serve as our Greenprint. In its simplest form, a Greenprint is a map of places that matter to our community. These places are historic, natural, cultural, or iconic, and tell Macon’s story — and create a sense of place — in their own unique ways.

But here at Historic Macon, we go beyond the Greenprint and consider the footprint of our stories attached to these places. That’s why our mission to revitalize communities by preserving architecture and sharing history dovetailed instantly into the community input needed to create this index.

Thanks to public meetings, surveys, speak-outs, and rigorous community engagement, we’ve discovered gems in our community that even stumped the most passionate preservationists.

Macon’s SPI has allowed us to stretch beyond the original thought of preservation and think bigger in community preservation efforts. Here at Historic Macon, we’re more than saving buildings. We want your involvement and input to create a strong sense of place — looking beyond the buildings and into the neighborhoods that hold them.

And that’s what you’ll find here. By looking back, we move Macon forward. Thanks to all who contributed input and thanks to all the community partners, locally and nationally, who have made the Saving Places Index possible.

Here’s to saving more places.

Ethiel Garlington

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 1

SECTION 2 Background on Macon-Bibb County

The free Second Sunday concert series hosted at Washington Park is one of the many public events offered throughout the year. © VISIT MACON

3 Macon-Bibb County as a political unit is the result Park brings the possibility for expanded interpretation of a 2014 merger of city and county governments, and tourism as well as land preservation. designed to effect cost savings and efficiency in government. However, settlement and occupation by Macon-Bibb has the opportunity through the Saving Native Americans dates back to the Paleo-Indian Places Index (SPI) to begin to collate the results of period of 15,000–9,600 BCE. The region’s climate and a wide range of efforts in conservation, recreation, resources have historically brought people to this and preservation into a single tool to provide a place, and the growth of transportation, trade, and comprehensive view of efforts to mark and designate industry has shaped it moving forward. Different the landscape features, buildings, structures, and sites groups have shaped the character and culture of that have significance for their cultural, historical, Macon-Bibb through its music, food, development environmental, and recreational values. Additionally, patterns, and architecture. The interplay of built and the SPI will create a tool that governments, citizens, natural resources continues to shape the community. industry, and the nonprofit sector can use to make informed decisions about land use, regulation, and Despite a rich cultural life and a pleasant climate, development, having a clearer understanding of growth has been slow and the poverty rate for the the values important to a broad spectrum of the region is relatively high. Macon-Bibb has strong community and the places that hold those values. employment in health care and higher education but continues to rebound from the loss of traditional The timing of this effort, during a period of slow manufacturing and industrial economies. Historic growth, allows the community to be ahead of the preservation has been a strong force for redevelopment curve and to be proactive rather than reactive to in some communities, providing both housing and market and development forces. The holistic approach construction jobs. The expansion of the National Park of the SPI recognizes that places on a map can be Service’s role at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical vessels for multiple value systems. Finding those

The Ocmulgee Indian Celebration is one of the largest Native American cultural events in the Southeast and is held each year at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. © VISIT MACON

4 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT Study Area HISTORIC MACON’S SAVING PLACES INDEX, MACON-BIBB COUNTY, GEORGIA figure 1. Map of Macon-Bibb County.

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 5 physical places where numerous priorities converge housing was built before 1979. Single-family detached will allow for diverse constituencies to work together houses make up 67.6 percent of housing units in for complementary goals. Macon-Bibb. Less than 3 percent are mobile homes. The remainder are multifamily units of two or more Physical Context units per structure. Located in Middle Georgia, just north of the fall line The homeownership rate is 52.8 percent as of 2017, an of the Ocmulgee River, Macon-Bibb is approximately increase from 52.5 percent in 2016, though the rate is 80 miles south of Atlanta and 150 miles northwest still considerably lower than the national average of of Savannah, near the geographic center of Georgia 63.9 percent. The median property value increased (see Figure 1). 0.256 percent from 2016 to 2017 with median values of $117,000 and $117,300, respectively. It is roughly 255 square miles in area and includes a portion of the Ocmulgee River, two of the river’s main tributaries (Tobesofkee Creek and Echeconnee Creek), Economy and Employment and Lake Tobesofkee, which is a reservoir created in The median household income in Macon-Bibb for 2017 the 1960s from flood control dams. is $38,247 (a 2.95 percent increase from the previous year). However, the median household income for Macon-Bibb is 330 feet above sea level. Its topography Georgia sits at $56,183 and for the United States at reflects its location near the fall line with hills toward $60,336. The poverty rate in Macon-Bibb is 26.7 percent, the north/piedmont region and flatter lands to the whereas for Georgia as a whole it is 16.9 percent. Over south toward the coastal plain. The climate is classified 71 percent of those living at or below the poverty level as humid subtropical with temperatures ranging from in Macon-Bibb are African American. the low 30s in January to the low 90s in July. Macon gets on average 46 inches of rain annually and rarely According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as any snow. of May 2019 Macon-Bibb’s unemployment rate was 3.8 percent. Health care/social assistance, retail trade, Demographics, Population, and Housing and educational services are the most populous employment sectors. Macon-Bibb has three major Macon-Bibb’s population has remained relatively steady hospitals and five colleges and universities. from 2000 (153,887) to 2018 (153,095). The growth rate for Georgia as whole from 2000 to 2010 was 18.3 percent. The traditional textile industries that started in mills According to the most recent census data, 54.2 percent along the Ocmulgee and fueled the local economy of those living in Macon-Bibb are African American, for decades have closed or moved to regions where 41.5 percent are white, and 3.2 percent are Hispanic or production costs are lower. These industries created Latino. According to the 2013 Macon-Bibb Analysis of great wealth but, in some cases, left behind environ- Impediments to Fair Housing Choice Plan (page 2), “Racial mentally compromised brownfield sites. migration over the past three Censuses shows an outward migration of white residents to the farthest Land Use Zoning and Ownership portions of the county and an inward migration of African American residents near the location of former The Macon-Bibb County Big Picture Comprehensive Plan city boundaries.” The median age in Macon-Bibb is 36 Update 2040 provides an analysis of land use patterns years, roughly the same as that in the state of Georgia. in Macon-Bibb based on definitions promulgated by the Georgia Department of Revenue based on tax Of the 69,793 housing units in Macon-Bibb in 2013, status (see Figure 2). an estimated 56 percent of the 57,108 occupied housing units were owner occupied and 44.5 percent were Environment rentals. Vacant housing units were estimated to be Macon is within the Altamaha watershed ecosystem in 18.2 percent. Over three-quarters of Macon-Bibb’s Georgia and more specifically the Ocmulgee River

6 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT watershed. It lies above both crystalline-rock aquifers having a community tree ordinance, spending at and the Cretaceous aquifer system, reflecting its least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and celebrating straddle across the piedmont and coastal plain. The Arbor Day. Macon Water Authority draws water from the Ocmulgee River, servicing 80 percent of the Macon-Bibb Federal Endangered Species found in Macon-Bibb population. State regulations require buffers and limit include bald eagles, wood storks, red-cockaded uses in proximity to portions of the Ocmulgee River woodpeckers, eastern indigo snakes, green pitcher and several perennial streams. Groundwater recharge plants, fringed campions, and relict trilliums. Species areas have zoning restrictions as well, to protect of Management Concern include Bachman’s sparrows, aquifers. The county has a wetlands protection district southeastern American kestrels, Appalachian Bewick’s and also protects wetlands through the floodplain wrens, gopher tortoises, shoals spider lilies, and ordinance. Forested wetlands (6,500 acres) are protected Ocmulgee skullcaps. The area is also home to a as part of Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia Endangered and Threatened Species, the south Macon-Bibb and neighboring Twiggs County. sweet pitcher plant.

As of May 2017, 55,111 acres in Macon-Bibb were used Recreation for agricultural, forest, and conservation uses. Of According to the Comprehensive Plan, Macon-Bibb has those, 14,722 acres (per 2012 figures) were used in 128 county-owned parks and recreation areas. Federally agricultural production, largely livestock, poultry, owned properties such as Ocmulgee Mounds National nursery, and greenhouse crops. Historical Park and Bond Swamp National Wildlife Macon is a Tree City certified by the Arbor Day Refuge also provide opportunities for outdoor Foundation as it meets the foundation’s four core recreation. The Ocmulgee Heritage Trail connects criteria: maintaining a tree board or department, areas in Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge to

LAND USE BY CATEGORY (acres)

Residential uses (single family, duplex, and triplex) 50,195

Commercial and multifamily (four or more dwellings) uses 11,433

Historical land 48

Industrial uses 5,687

Utility/other 1,215

Agricultural uses (including preferential covenants) 29,320

Forest uses 2,804

Conservation uses 22,987

Tax exempt (e.g., schools, religious centers, government buildings, assisted-living facilities, etc.) 23,750

figure 2. An analysis of land use patterns in Macon-Bibb.

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 7 other sites along the river. Ocmulgee Mounds National districts. Listing in the National Register recognizes Historical Park has expansion plans. The possibility the architectural and historical significance of a of a Rails to Trails project could connect the Ocmulgee district, site, or property. The National Register of Heritage Trail to the Oconee River Greenway in Historic Places does not restrict what can and cannot Milledgeville via a 33-mile trail. be done to a listed property. However, changes made to properties within the five local historic districts The Macon-Bibb Parks and Beautification Department require approval by the Design Review Board and the is responsible for maintaining over 75 passive parks Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Commission. and green spaces, including more than five miles of paved walking trails and four historical cemeteries. Macon-Bibb’s cultural offerings include the Hay House, Its forestry services provide tree maintenance, Tubman Museum, Macon Pops, Museum of Arts and removal, and reforestation for Macon-Bibb County. Sciences, and Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Culture is The department also maintains landscaping in public also celebrated in festivals including the International spaces downtown as well as government-owned parks Cherry Blossom Festival, Ocmulgee Indian Celebration, and facilities. The 128 parks total roughly 936 acres and Tubman Pan African Festival, among others. and have six swimming pools, 13 community centers, Music history is rich in Macon, having been home to six gymnasiums, a rose garden, the Sandy Beach Water Little Richard, Otis Redding, and the Allman Brothers. Park, the Bowden Golf Course, Arrowhead Park, East Efforts to rehabilitate the famous Capricorn Sound Macon’s mountain bike trail, and Lake Tobesofkee’s Studios were completed in late 2019. Music sites walking trails and beach. Additionally, the department associated with these performers and others are noted provides services including camps, sports leagues in Historic Macon’s Music Registry, a self-guided tour and instruction, active adult programming, and other of music sites marked by plaques and augmented by recreation and leisure activities. a website.

Cultural and Historic Resources The region’s Native American history is interpreted at The county has 62 properties individually listed on the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. The area National Register and 12 National Register historic was occupied beginning in the Paleo-Indian period, 15,000–9,600 BCE. However, much of the interpretation centers around the mounds constructed in the Mississippian period, 900 CE. The park is the homeland of the Muscogee Creek Nation, which was removed from the region in the 1830s as part of the Trail of Tears, when the federal government forcibly removed Native Americans from the southeastern United States to western territories as part of Andrew Jackson’s Indian removal policy.

The region’s African American culture is celebrated through several of the venues listed above, notably the Tubman Museum and the Macon Music Trail. Additionally, two of the region’s historic districts, Cotton Avenue and Pleasant Hill, are significant as commercial and residential centers for the African American community. There is movement to document Negro Motorist Green Book sites, which provided services to traveling African Americans during the Jim Crow era.

The Allman Brothers Band Museum at the Big House. © VISIT MACON

8 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT SECTION 3 What Is the Saving Places Index?

Built in 1916, Terminal Station was designed by celebrated architect Alfred T. Fellheimer, who also designed New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. The former railroad station underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2010. It now houses a transfer station for the local bus service, City government offices, conference rooms, and event spaces.© VISIT MACON 9 The impetus for Macon’s Saving Places Index (SPI) the program will provide opportunities for new was the desire of The 1772 Foundation to develop and partnerships to identify, evaluate, and protect those test a model for holistic, integrative, community asset places that are valued by the community at large. mapping that supports preservation, conservation, and recreation. The foundation has long supported The project team adapted The Trust for Public Land’s a number of programs across the country in both Greenprint process to create the following series of “bricks-and-mortar” funding for capital projects goals for the Saving Places Index: and planning and capacity building for nonprofit 1. Identify and prioritize historic preservation, organizations that support its key focus areas. recreation, and natural resource conservation Using The Trust for Public Land’s Greenprint process opportunities based on community input and as a framework, the foundation chose Historic Macon technical analysis. Foundation and Hanbury Preservation Consulting to 2. Engage members of the public to articulate adapt the process. The Greenprint process was designed their values and vision of protecting Macon’s to combine community engagement and Geographic significant places. Information Systems (GIS) mapping across a broad 3. Identify high-priority projects that reflect swath of placemaking objectives to create a tool that community-identified values across the natural will not only serve Historic Macon Foundation in and built environment. supporting many of its existing programs, but also 4. Raise community awareness and support around provide the larger community, including local govern- the value of the natural and built environment. ment, nonprofits, and private citizens, with access to 5. Create a mapping tool to help local stakeholders data and the means to analyze the information to identify opportunities based on their own priorities. support their objectives. Ultimately, it is hoped that

Established in 1823, Tattnall Square Park is one of the oldest urban parks in America. © VISIT MACON

10 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT The end products of the project are this report, an national “mapping inequality” project that show the interactive online StoryMap describing the project and impact of redlining. results, and a GIS-based website that includes both the aggregate mapping data and a decision support tool The project team also incorporated data collected that aids in the prioritization of parcels based on from the community at large. These data may have parameters and values selected by the user. been less systemic in their aggregation, or more “subjective,” but were equally important, perhaps At the heart of the process was the collection and even more important, in determining community development of data for inclusion in the mapping preservation priorities. The community data were program. Some of the data was information collected collected from numerous engagement strategies, all and compiled by other agencies and groups. In described in Section 4 of this report. addition to basic data such as parcel boundaries, roads, topography, and waterways, other information The resulting maps and decision support tool will fell into three categories: historical/cultural, scenic/ serve stakeholders in Macon-Bibb County. The tool is conservation, and recreation. already supporting Historic Macon Foundation’s efforts to identify prospects for its Fading Five program, The historical and cultural data were divided into an annual list of endangered properties. It has also thematic categories. National Register properties and provided insight into places and communities that properties contributing to historic districts were may have been overlooked or whose significance was mapped as well as historical markers. The Sanborn not initially apparent, allowing citizens to bring Insurance Company’s 1895 map of Macon was also attention to these places through the Saving Places included as a data layer. Research into sites associated Index and to mark them as prospects for additional with Macon’s music history and sites associated with study and interpretation. This process also establishes the Jim Crow–era Negro Motorist Green Book provided a model for similar programs in other communities. additional depth. Data for sensitive archaeological sites were buffered to protect those locations. The accessibility of the decision support tool, which is free and available to anyone who creates a user name, Scenic and conservation sites included currently means that other organizations with complementary protected places such as Bond Swamp National missions can access data and analyze land use patterns Wildlife Refuge, as well as sites identified using GIS and values to make informed, strategic decisions about data. The team mapped features such as floodplains, conservation and recreation planning. Including data tree canopy cover, impervious ground cover, farmland about historic inequality allows users to examine the soil quality, viewsheds, habitat of key wildlife species, overlay of historical racial inequity when considering and heat islands to locate these sites. future plans. The political jurisdictional boundaries allow for targeted planning and advocacy by Recreation data included an inventory of water access government officials and community members alike. areas, existing parks, sidewalks, and hiking and biking trails, and analysis of park need. Throughout the process, the project team collected feedback from the Steering Committee, stakeholders, Additional data reviewed during the process included and the public to adjust both the process and the boundaries for political jurisdictions such as local, products to be more useful and more accessible, state, and federal electoral maps; Macon-Bibb’s 2018 creating a model for other communities to adopt. blight survey data; census tracts; and data from a

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 11

SECTION 4 Community Engagement

Community members at a project kickoff meeting mark important historic, cultural, and green spaces on a map. © HISTORIC MACON FOUNDATION

13 Public participation was a key aspect of the Saving • Stakeholder interviews Places Index. Although Historic Macon Foundation had • An online Saving Places App that allowed a vital interest in the data collected and the mapping community members to identify significant sites tools developed, partner organizations and the on a map community at large were at the heart of the goals for • A dedicated webpage on Historic Macon’s website the program. Community input identified important that included a collection device for contact places, shaped priorities that reflect community information to create a project-specific mailing list values, raised community awareness about important • In-house communications including email blasts, places, and helped to develop tools that are open to the newsletter articles, and Instagram posts public to further conservation and preservation goals • External media coverage in the newspaper and for stakeholders across Macon-Bibb. Macon Magazine

Using a variety of outreach methods helped to diversify the sources of community feedback for a richer, more Steering Committee relevant program. The project team established a Historic Macon Foundation assembled a steering number of vehicles for communication, including: committee to help guide and promote the project. The committee was demographically diverse and • A steering committee included members with specific relevant interests and • A public kickoff meeting experience. For example, a member of the GIS team for • A one-page flier with the program logo, specific Macon-Bibb was able to assist in finding local datasets talking points, and links to additional resources and designing the project to be useful at the local • Speak-outs and meetings around Macon-Bibb government level. The committee also allowed Historic County Macon to make connections with key people in the • An online survey conservation and recreation fields, not only for their

Historic Macon Foundation Executive Director Ethiel Garlington discusses the Saving Places Index with local media. © HISTORIC MACON FOUNDATION

14 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT insights but also to develop new relationships that America and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (see Table 1). could grow into future partnerships. The Steering The events and organizations were chosen according Committee met in person and online to review to diversity in terms of age, gender, race, ethnicity, progress on the project and provide insight and and geography as well as audience interest in history, feedback at critical junctures. From the project kickoff conservation, and recreation. in September 2019 through July 2020, the Steering Committee met six times, including three GIS webinars. TABLE 1. SPI OUTREACH EVENTS

Project Kickoff Event Date Attendees The initial kickoff meeting was held at Historic Macon’s headquarters. Members of the public met with Ocmulgee Indian Celebration 9/21/2019 50 staff and members of the Steering Committee and Open Streets 10/20/2019 100 were given a presentation on the SPI including demon- strations of the GIS mapping capacity and the decision Westside Neighbors United 1/13/2020 20 Monthly Meeting support tool. Participants divided into small groups, marked significant places on large, poster-sized maps, Vineville Neighborhood 1/30/2020 50 and then regrouped to share what places they felt were Association Annual Meeting important. The meeting received good coverage in Beall’s Hill Neighborhood 2/13/2020 10 the local media, including newspaper and television Association Monthly Meeting news coverage. Faith Speaks Meeting 2/13/2020 20

Printed Material NewTown Macon Developer’s 2/13/2020 15 A one-page flier was developed early in the process. Academy Class Professionally designed with the project logo for National Society of the 2/20/2020 20 branding purposes, it provided background information Colonial Dames of America about the project, outlined project goals, noted SPI Meeting team partners, and included a QR code that linked to Center for Collaborative 2/27/2020 25 the online survey. The flier was provided to Steering Journalism Class at Mercer Committee members to assist them in promoting the University project, was distributed at events and speak-outs, and Veterans of Foreign Wars 2/27/2020 7 was available at Historic Macon headquarters. Meeting

Women in Business 2/28/2020 40 Outreach Events In addition to hosting meetings at Historic Macon’s headquarters, team members took the SPI “on the Online Survey road” to meet community members at a variety of An online survey was developed, posted, and promoted events, including the Ocmulgee Indian Celebration, to obtain additional feedback for the project. The a Women in Business meeting, the Macon Open Streets survey included a map of the survey area and a general event in Beall’s Hill, a Faith Speaks meeting, a class description of the project. It asked about the types session for the NewTown Macon Developer’s Academy, of places that should be saved (e.g., Civil War sites, a class at Mercer University’s Center for Collaborative wildlife habitat, etc.) and also invited users to suggest Journalism, a Westside Neighbors United monthly specific places. An announcement about the survey meeting, the Vineville Neighborhood Association was sent to everyone on Historic Macon’s email list and annual meeting, a Beall’s Hill Neighborhood Association was included in digital newsletters. It was also linked monthly meeting, and meetings of the local chapters in the foundation’s Instagram feed and on QR codes in of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of various publications.

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 15 This project is interested in preserving historic and cultural places around Macon. What parts of Macon’s history do you think are most worth celebrating and preserving? (Check your top 3 responses.)

70%

56%

46%

34%

18% 16% 18% 11% 9% 7% 6%

Military Art Music Historic Social Religious Transport. Exploration/ Archaeology Native Other History History Architecture History History (e.g., trading Settlement American (please routes, History specify) railroads, river travel) figure 3. Community priorities for historic and cultural preservation.

This project is also interested in conserving key scenic and land conservation areas, and improving the environment through things like planting street trees. Which of these are most important to you? (Check your top 3 responses.)

66% 63% 59%

31%

20% 22% 18% 11%

Water Flood Working Tree Wildlife Key Heritage Other Quality Prevention Lands Canopy Habitat Viewsheds Highways (please specify)

figure 4. Community conservation priorities.

16 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT What would make you more interested in visiting historic and cultural places around Macon? (Check your top 3 responses.)

If there were other recreational amenities (e.g., ﬁtness equipment, playgrounds, or sports ﬁelds) 20%

If there were comfortable places to relax (e.g., more shade or seating, places to be social) 68%

If I could get a workout 13%

Close to my home 6%

They should represent the history or culture of my community/people 43%

Celebrate the types of history or culture that I am most interested in 50%

More public events and programs at the site 68%

I am not interested in history or culture 3%

Other (please specify) 9% figure 5. Increasing visitorship at Macon’s historic and cultural sites.

Which is most important to you?

Preserving historic and cultural places and celebrating our history 50%

Increasing places for outdoor recreation 8%

Improving the environment (e.g., conserving natural places for plants and 42% wildlife, planting trees to cool hot areas, etc.)

figure 6. Community priorities for the Saving Places Index.

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 17 One hundred fourteen people responded to the survey. When they were asked about the part of Macon’s history that was worth celebrating and preserving, their top three responses were its historic architecture, its music history, and its Native American history (see Figure 3). When they were given a list of conservation topics, their top three priorities were tree canopy, water quality, and wildlife habitat (see Figure 4). Participants were asked what would make them interested in visiting cultural and historic places in Macon-Bibb, and their top three responses were: if the sites had comfortable places to relax; if more public events and programs were held at the sites; and if the sites celebrated the types of history or culture that most interested the respondents (see Figure 5). When participants were asked to rank specific values, cultural and historic sites and environmental areas The welcome sign at the SPI community kickoff. © HISTORIC MACON FOUNDATION ranked 50 and 42 percent, respectively, with recreation at 8 percent (see Figure 6). Roughly a third of respon- nity to glean insights from interviewees but also dents heard about the survey through an email, almost the chance to educate key people about the project. 29 percent by word of mouth, 23 percent on Facebook, Interviews were held in September and December of and 7 percent in the Macon Telegraph. Other sources 2019. From an initial list of 14 stakeholders invited were largely the outreach events described above. to participate, six agreed. Interviewees held expertise in forestry, the arts, historic preservation, placemaking, The survey included optional questions about demo- conservation, water resources, environmental graphics. By age the largest cohort responding was activism, and historic and archival research. 55–64-year-olds (23 percent), followed by 18–24-year- olds (20 percent). Other cohorts (25–34, 35–44, In addition to suggesting specific high-priority places 45–54, and 65–74) ranged between 12 percent and to be included in the project’s mapping, stakeholders 14 percent with a drop-off to 6 percent in the 75 years provided some perspective about the region overall. and older group. Women made up the larger group They noted that physical changes over time can rob of participants by a 2 to 1 ratio. Income skewed high: places of the context needed to understand their roughly 34 percent of respondents earned $100,000 or significance. However, the collection of numerous more a year, 23 percent earned between $50,000 and datasets, they hoped, would help knit together some $75,000 year, and 18 percent earned between $75,000 context through interpretation of the site. Another and $100,000 per year. Nine percent of participants key insight concerned representation and the need to earned less than $20,000 annually. A full summary of reach out to a diverse population to help ensure that the online survey results is provided in the appendix. resources important to a variety of different groups were recorded and better understood. A summary of Stakeholder Interviews stakeholder interviews can be found in the appendix. Historic Macon Foundation assembled a list of local stakeholders for in-person interviews. These stake- The Saving Places App holders were chosen because they had insight into The project team developed a computer application one of the three project focus areas and/or they that allowed members of the public to mark sites they represented key constituencies whose participation felt were worth saving on a map, write a description was important to the program’s success. Stakeholder of the site, and submit a photo. The app was promoted interviews gave the project team not only the opportu- through emails and public meetings. Throughout the

18 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT course of the project, 199 sites were identified by the The foundation used its social media outlets to community. The app was also used to capture points publicize the project and promote specific aspects. that participants noted on physical maps during For example, the presentation to the Vineville outreach events, which the project team entered into Neighborhood Association was broadcast through the app. Data were collected through the app from Facebook live. A hashtag campaign for #ISPIMacon was October 2019 through March 2020 and incorporated promoted through Instagram. Media outlets featured into the Saving Places Index, although the app remains the project and included coverage of the kickoff open and will be used to solicit nominations for the meeting. The foundation purchased an ad in Macon Fading Five program and other future projects. Magazine that was boosted by narrative in the editor’s letter for the issue.

Online Resources and Social Media The community engagement effort achieved four As part of Historic Macon Foundation’s website, a major accomplishments: it collected place data and dedicated page for the project was created. It provided related information for the mapping effort, it informed general information about the project and included the design of the tools by examining their applicability a link to the online survey and the Saving Places App and improving the end-user experience, it created (see Figure 7). Also, the page had a form that allowed connections to individuals and organizations that visitors to submit their names and contact information can become partners for implementation, and it so that the foundation could build a database of provided insight about perceptions that will allow interested parties and collect email and mailing Historic Macon to manage expectations and dispel addresses to disseminate updates about the project. misinformation.

figure 7. The Saving Places App invited community members to nominate sites that were important to them. Sites were also collected on paper maps at events and later uploaded to the app by the project team. These sites are viewable on the project StoryMap and decision support tool.

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 19

SECTION 5 Spatial Data Analysis Results

The reconstructed blockhouse at Fort Benjamin Hawkins connects visitors with the early English settlement that traded with the Creek Nation. It was here that the city of Macon was established. © HISTORIC MACON FOUNDATION 21 Mapping key resources was central to the Saving Places create one Overall Priorities Map (see Figure 11), the Index. By including datasets like county blight maps, results of each topic are also useful independently. geo-referenced historic Sanborn Insurance maps, and redlining data, the project team was able to get a fuller This process was guided by a group of local experts picture of the needs and opportunities of the area. To serving on a steering committee. Through webinars determine the highest-priority areas for conservation, and in-person meetings, the Steering Committee recreation, and preservation throughout the Macon- guided the analysis by helping to (1) compile a list of Bibb area, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) relevant criteria to map, (2) collect the best available were employed to map the most critical datasets for data, and (3) review results to ensure that they determining places that were the highest candidates accurately reflect on-the-ground realities. As the for investment and intervention. analysis progressed, the Steering Committee met in smaller topic-specific subcommittees composed of The project’s GIS analysis was organized into the experts in that field. following mapping topics: Twenty-one local experts participated on the Steering 1. Recreational Opportunities Committee, including members associated with local 2. Scenic and Land Conservation Areas government, educational organizations (Mercer 3. Historic and Cultural Resources University, UGA Cooperative Extension Office), preservation organizations (Historic Macon Foundation, In this section, each of these mapping topics is explained Georgia Historic Preservation Division), recreation along with the resulting topic-specific map. Although groups (Bike Walk Macon), neighborhood groups, these specific mapping topic results were combined to civic organizations (NewTown Macon, Ruth Hartley

Overlooking downtown Macon, Coleman Hill Park offers residents spectacular views and recreation space. © HISTORIC MACON FOUNDATION

22 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT Increasing Recreational Opportunities HISTORIC MACON’S SAVING PLACES INDEX, MACON-BIBB COUNTY, GEORGIA. figure 8. Recreational opportunities map.

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 23 Mosley Center, New Georgia Project, AARP), philan- • Increasing neighborhood park access in high- thropy (Community Foundation of Central Georgia), need areas and others. • Preserving open space for parks and recreation • Increasing river access for water recreation Detailed GIS metadata with descriptions of how criteria • Increasing rails-to-trails opportunities were categorized are available through the Saving Places Index mapping portal. The portal also hosts Potential riparian access points were clustered along the project’s decision support tool, which allows the Ocmulgee River, generally north and south of users to view the project’s GIS analysis results in an central Macon. Rail corridors and right-of-way are interactive setting, exploring specific sites and linear features with recreational potential primarily analyzing their values. northwest and south of the downtown area. Existing parks and wildlife areas serve as anchors for potential Recreational Opportunities expansions into comprehensive connected systems with the possibility to expand into regional recreation This map (see Figure 8) displays the priorities for networks. Conversely, underserved areas with signifi- increasing recreational opportunities as part of the cant population density also point to recreation Saving Places Index analysis. This recreation-based opportunities highlighted by underdeveloped tracts analysis first identified existing places for recreation with recreational use potential. important to the community. From this baseline, new opportunities for neighborhood parks, trails, and water access were prioritized. This stacked priority Scenic and Land Conservation Areas result is produced using a weighted sum analysis This map (see Figure 9) displays priorities for and highlights areas where individual recreational preserving key scenic and land conservation areas opportunities and needs overlap, offering multiple as part of the Saving Places Index analysis. This recreational opportunities. The individual recreational conservation-based analysis shows where key scenic opportunities analyses identified places with and land conservation goals stack up, offering multiple potential for: benefits if conservation occurred in that area. The stacked result is produced using an equal weighted sum analysis and includes the following key scenic and land conservation goals:

• Maintain open space in key viewsheds • Maintain existing tree canopy • Protect open space in water supply catchments • Protect working lands • Maintain open space in areas with high stormwater flooding potential • Protect open space in floodplains • Protect key wildlife habitat areas

Areas northwest of downtown largely scored high due to their potential to protect open space in water supply catchments. Areas important to maintaining existing tree canopy were dispersed throughout Macon-Bibb with lower concentration in Macon proper. Eleven points were identified as key viewshed protection areas: Amerson River Park, Coleman Hill, Eisenhower Parkway, Fort Hawkins, Hartley

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. © HISTORIC MACON FOUNDATION Bridge Road, Jeffersonville Road, Masonic Children’s

24 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT Conserving Key Scenic and Land Conservation Areas HISTORIC MACON’S SAVING PLACES INDEX, MACON-BIBB COUNTY, GEORGIA. figure 9. Scenic and land conservation areas map.

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 25 Home, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, such as Fort Benjamin Hawkins, Camp Oglethorpe, Riverside Wimbish, Rose Hill Cemetery, and Sandy Camp Wheeler, other fortifications, and Civil War sites Beach Water Park. Working lands highlighted for clustered within the city. Macon’s rich musical history protection were clustered in the western and eastern is reflected in the numerous sites that had been edges of the county, while areas with high stormwater previously identified through a regional study and flooding potential tended to be found in central marker program. Industrial sites tend to be clustered Macon-Bibb. Open space near the floodplain was south of the downtown area and include warehouses clustered around the Ocmulgee and its tributaries. and other large industrial and manufacturing build- High-priority wildlife habitat was largely concentrated ings. Sites listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book and its in the county’s southeast near Bond Swamp National successors (1936–67), which identified services and Wildlife Refuge, although there are some key areas lodging available to African Americans during the in the northwest. Jim Crow era, were mapped and are largely clustered in the city. Historic Markers, designated properties Historic and Cultural Resources on the National Register, and sites nominated by the public were also mapped. This map (see Figure 10) displays the priorities for protecting historic and cultural resources as part of the Saving Places Index analysis. This priority analysis Overall Priorities Map focused on identifying sites, buildings, or structures This map (see Figure 11) displays the overall priorities with historic significance as well as places with for the Saving Places Index project. This result is cultural importance to the community. This stacked intended to show where the priority analysis results priority result is produced using an equal weighted for (1) protecting historic and cultural resources, sum analysis and highlights where individual historic (2) preserving key scenic and land conservation areas, and cultural resource priorities overlap. The individual and (3) increasing recreational opportunities stack historic and cultural resource analyses identified up, offering multiple benefits if preservation or places important to the following: conservation occurred in that area. This stacked result is produced using a weighted sum analysis that allows • First people’s/early history for emphasis on analysis results for values that are • European colonization especially important to the community. Based on • Transportation results from the online survey, the individual weights • Religious sites applied to each priority analysis result to create the • Military history combined overall result are as follows: • Social history • Music history • Protecting historic and cultural resources • Industrial history (50 percent) • Historic architecture • Preserving key scenic and land conservation areas • Cultural assets (42 percent) • Increasing recreational opportunities (8 percent) First people’s/early history and European colonization sites are mapped around known sites or following The highest overall priority areas tend to be clustered predictive models such as settlement near bodies along a corridor that follows the Ocmulgee River, of water. Locations associated with known archaeolog- traveling northwest to southeast in the eastern portion ical sites were buffered to protect against looting. of the county. Another concentration of high- and Transportation sites were generally clustered along moderate-priority sites extends south and west from the river, rail networks, and early road networks. Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in the southern Religious sites were largely churches and cemeteries section of the county. A fringe of moderate-priority that were dispersed throughout the county. Military areas sits along the western edge of the county. sites included historic road networks and specific sites

26 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT Preserving Historic and Cultural Resources HISTORIC MACON’S SAVING PLACES INDEX, MACON-BIBB COUNTY, GEORGIA. figure 10. Historic and cultural resources map.

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 27 Overall Priorities HISTORIC MACON’S SAVING PLACES INDEX, MACON-BIBB COUNTY, GEORGIA. figure 11. Overall priorities map.

28 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT SECTION 6 Case Studies

To field-test the decision support tool, a number of case study sites were chosen in late July of 2020. The decision support tool was used to create a list of the highest-ranking properties based on the three sets of values: historic and cultural resources, key scenic and land conservation parcels, and recreational opportunity sites. The formula was adjusted slightly. Given that historic and cultural resources had far more subcategories than key scenic and land conservation parcels and recreational opportunity sites, the initial list skewed heavily. To create a more diverse list of sites, some of the lower-ranking cultural sites were replaced with high-scoring scenic and recreational sites. To ensure geographic diversity, Macon-Bibb County was divided into six regions and the list was revised to include at least one site in each region.

A list of 32 sites was then created and site visits were made to 30 of these. A complete list of sites can be found in the appendix. Site visits allowed Historic Macon Foundation to identify the strongest candidates for intervention and preservation based on decision-support-tool criteria, field study, and additional background research. The 14 strongest sites are highlighted below, along with their scores for each of the three mapping topics.

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 29 Park Memorial Methodist Church Robert E. Lee Building 5290 Arkwright Road 830 Mulberry Street

VERY VERY LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH

Protecting historic and Protecting historic and cultural resources cultural resources

Preserving key scenic and Preserving key scenic and land conservation areas land conservation areas

Increasing recreational Increasing recreational opportunities opportunities

Park Memorial was built in 1890 in what was known Named for a prominent Macon insurance executive, as the Holton community of Bibb County. The church the former Professional Building was nominated by was built as a memorial to Ella Holt Park by her the public for inclusion in the Savings Places Index surviving husband, Robert Emory Park. After the chiefly for its value in music history. Once a private death of Ella, Park moved to Atlanta where he served residence, this building with classical detailing housed as the state treasurer of Georgia. The church building the offices of Phil Walden Artists & Promotions, a exhibits many features of the Victorian style, partnership with Otis Redding that supported the including turned posts and a spindle frieze in the early careers of artists Sam and Dave and Percy Sledge, porch and a bargeboard in the gable. Lancet windows among others. The building also housed the studios for and buttresses on the side elevations are a nod to WIBB radio station, where James Brown recorded his the Gothic Revival style. first hit single, “Please, Please, Please.”

30 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 3724 Avondale Mill Road 6538 Columbus Road

VERY VERY LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH

Protecting historic and Protecting historic and cultural resources cultural resources

Preserving key scenic and Preserving key scenic and land conservation areas land conservation areas

Increasing recreational Increasing recreational opportunities opportunities

The site of a modern pecan grove, this location holds This farm is located in an area that provides habitat an African American burial site dating back to at for key wildlife species, namely the American kestrel, least the 1870s, and possibly earlier. An extensive Bachman’s sparrow, bald eagle, barn owl, black bear, archaeological investigation, prompted by a transpor- eastern spotted skunk, and eastern tiger salamander. tation project, documented the archaeological remains It has a high percentage of tree canopy cover (over and placed them within a historic context. It is 89 percent) and preserves open space within a 100-year believed that those interred here had been enslaved or floodplain, providing some protection from descended from enslaved peoples working in agricul- catastrophic flooding events. ture around the communities of Rutland, Avondale, and Walden. The relative anonymity of the site rein- forces the value of the mapping process to capture values not readily apparent.

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 31 Lakeside Park Old City Cemetery 2520 Jeffersonville Road 103 Cherry Street

VERY VERY LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH

Protecting historic and Protecting historic and cultural resources cultural resources

Preserving key scenic and Preserving key scenic and land conservation areas land conservation areas

Increasing recreational Increasing recreational opportunities opportunities

The area around Lakeside Reservoir was originally The Old City Cemetery was used briefly from 1825 developed as a recreational site in the 19th century. until 1840, when the Rose Hill Cemetery was opened In the early 20th century, it was renamed Lakeside and interments at the Old City Cemetery ceased. Park and hosted water sports and concerts. Purchased The land around the cemetery was sold off and by music mogul Phil Walden in 1975, it was further developed, and much of it is included in the Macon developed with restaurants and a disco and hosted Railroad Industrial District. Plans to move the graves private parties for Capricorn Sound Studios as well and reinter the remains were never implemented, as the Allman Brothers reunion in 1978. Currently and the cemetery suffered a period of neglect. The unused, the site contains habitat for key wildlife 1895 Sanborn Insurance map suggests that some of species, has high viewshed and tree cover values, and the cemetery was destroyed with the construction of also maintains open space within a flood zone. As a present-day 7th Street. Civic groups have restored potential recreational asset, it is in an area with some monuments, and the site is maintained by the both high population density and limited outdoor local government. recreational opportunities.

32 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT Martin’s Tack and Feed 240 Edgewood Avenue 195 Bay Street

VERY VERY LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH

Protecting historic and Protecting historic and cultural resources cultural resources

Preserving key scenic and Preserving key scenic and land conservation areas land conservation areas

Increasing recreational Increasing recreational opportunities opportunities

Designated as contributing to the Macon Railroad According to the 1895 Sanborn Insurance map, this site Industrial District, this site was nominated by the may have been the Central City Ice Factory, located public as well as indicated by decision-support-tool on what was then Boundary Street, just west of the priorities. It has proximity to historic transportation Norfolk Southern Railway and Macon and Western routes, both road and rail. Part of what was once a Railroad lines. This brick industrial building contributes bustling industrial area of the city, the building is to the Macon Railroad Industrial District. Particularly located near a railroad tunnel on Bay Street, and a notable is the brick dog-tooth cornice and turrets at Norfolk Southern line runs along its north parcel the building’s corners. Structural bays are marked by boundary. The three-story masonry warehouse brick pilasters, and original masonry openings are building is currently vacant. marked by rowlock arches. The sophisticated masonry is significant for this industrial building.

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 33 Schofield Iron Works Complex 3821 Fulton Mill Road 521 Fifth Street

VERY VERY LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH

Protecting historic and Protecting historic and cultural resources cultural resources

Preserving key scenic and Preserving key scenic and land conservation areas land conservation areas

Increasing recreational Increasing recreational opportunities opportunities

Part of Macon’s significant industrial history, Schofield This 6.17-acre wooded parcel provides dense tree cover, Iron Works was founded in 1854 to build iron boilers, preserves open space in a flood plain, protects key cotton presses, and large machinery. The complex wildlife habitat (American kestrel, barn owl, eastern was built in 1859 on a spur line at the Union Depot spotted skunk), and maintains open space within a (now demolished) and was used by other industrial and key viewshed. If preserved as recreational open space, wholesale interests after Schofield moved its operations it would provide access to Tobesofkee Creek. to Edgewood Avenue. The complex contributes to the Macon Historic District and the Macon Railroad Industrial District and features structural bays divided by brick pilasters and metal industrial windows. The buildings have been vacant since 1995. Historic Macon Foundation has designated the complex as a Fading Five site.

34 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 4815 Holley Road 8850 Columbus Road

VERY VERY LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH

Protecting historic and Protecting historic and cultural resources cultural resources

Preserving key scenic and Preserving key scenic and land conservation areas land conservation areas

Increasing recreational Increasing recreational opportunities opportunities

This 404-acre wooded tract lies at the western This 384-acre parcel is bounded at the west by terminus of Holley Road and is bounded at the west Echeconnee Creek and to the north by property by Echeconnee Creek. In terms of scenic and environ- at 4815 Holley Road (described at left). Together, the mental values, it is a high priority for maintaining two sites support ecological connectivity by creating tree cover, protecting open space in floodplains, a contiguous band of habitat. Though not accessible protecting key wildlife habitat, and maintaining to the Ocmulgee River, the parcel could provide open space within a key viewshed. Though not acces- recreational water access to Echeconnee Creek. It sible to the Ocmulgee River, the tract could provide contains acres of existing agricultural and forested recreational water access to Echeconnee Creek. It land, lies within a floodplain, has significant tree contains a large amount of existing agricultural and canopy, and is visible from two key viewsheds. forested lands and borders a working farm to the east. Immediately south of the property lies 8850 Columbus Road, another priority area identified through this study. Combined, the two sites create a large swath of relatively undeveloped habitat for species including Bachman’s sparrow, barn owl, and eastern spotted skunk.

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 35 5700 Eisenhower Parkway 8001 Eisenhower Parkway

VERY VERY LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH LOW MODERATE HIGH HIGH

Protecting historic and Protecting historic and cultural resources cultural resources

Preserving key scenic and Preserving key scenic and land conservation areas land conservation areas

Increasing recreational Increasing recreational opportunities opportunities

This 96-acre farm is largely undeveloped, contains This community-nominated site consists of a 19th- forested lands, lies within the 100-year floodplain, and century dwelling on an 8.7-acre parcel. In poor provides habitat to key identified species, notably the condition, the one-story, side-gabled frame house American kestrel, Bachman’s sparrow, bald eagle, barn with later additions possesses Greek Revival features, owl, dwarf waterdog, eastern spotted skunk, and including pedimented gable ends, a board cornice, eastern tiger salamander. Subdivision and development a single-leaf entrance with partial-height sidelights, of an adjacent tract began in 2005 and shows the and a seven-light transom in a door surround with pattern of suburban development that often results molded trim and corner blocks. The interior was not when large parcels are not protected. accessed, but it likely had a center-hall plan. This site appears to be a relatively rare surviving house of its era and style for the area. The grounds contain both cleared and wooded areas.

36 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT SECTION 7 Closing

Historic Macon Foundation, working in collaboration with The Trust for Public Land and Hanbury Preservation Consulting, with funding from The 1772 Foundation, has concluded the study portion of the Saving Places Index. With guidance from a steering committee and feedback from public outreach efforts, the foundation has developed a tool that combines hard and soft data to record and bring together place-based information in a GIS-based, internet-accessible tool. However, despite the effort that went into the creation of this tool, the Saving Places Index is not finished but merely beginning.

Historic Macon Foundation will use this tool extensively as it develops its future policies and programs, including its Fading Five project and its neighborhood investment strategies. It will provide training to the community so that other groups and individuals can access the information and analyze the data to shape their own objectives and activities. With a diverse group of datasets, Historic Macon and others will be able to identify potential partners for large-scale projects that respond to a broad set of cultural and environmental concerns.

And finally, as a result of this pilot project, all of the program partners will reflect on the process, make adjust- ments, and redeploy the program in other cities across the country. The partners will equip communities with the data and analytical tools to reach across traditional spheres of influence to build partnerships for investments in land management and placemaking that are more comprehensive and holistic.

SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT 37 Sources

Data USA, “Macon-Bibb County,” https://datausa.io/profile/geo/macon-bibb-county-ga/.

Georgia Association of Conservation Districts, “Ocmulgee River Conservation District,” https://www.gacd.us/ocmulgeeriver.

Macon-Bibb County, https://www.maconbibb.us/.

Macon-Bibb County, Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice Plan, http://www.maconbibb.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ANALYSIS-OF-IMPEDIMENTS-as-of-July-22-2015.pdf.

Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Commission, Big Picture Comprehensive Plan Update 2017–2037, first draft, https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A5b836b24-e3d5-4cc9-9e15-77bd0d52328f.

Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Commission, Big Picture Comprehensive Plan Update 2040, https://www.dca.ga.gov/sites/default/files/macon_bibb_comprehensive_plan_adopted_2017.pdf.

Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Commission, Macon-Bibb County Comprehensive Plan 2030, Community Assessment, February 2006, https://mbpz.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/2030-Comprehensive-Plan.pdf.

Macon Music Trail, https://www.maconmusictrail.com/.

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, https://www.nps.gov/ocmu/index.htm.

Travis Pruitt and Associates, Comprehensive Plan for Recreational Services: Macon-Bibb County (Norcross, GA: Travis Pruitt Associates, 2018).

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Economy at a Glance: Macon, GA,” https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.ga_macon_msa.htm.

U.S. Census Bureau, “QuickFacts: Macon-Bibb County, Georgia,” https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/maconbibbcountygeorgia.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Endangered and Protected Species, https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/references/Agency/GA/Archived_s1_endandered_protected_species_170209.pdf.

U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Region, Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan, September 2009, https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/18979?Reference=20318.

38 SAVING PLACES INDEX REPORT “Welcome to Macon Where the South Rocks!” © CHRISTOPHER IAN SMITH The Trust for Public Land 101 Montgomery Steet Suite 900 San Francisco, CA 94104 415.495.4014 tpl.org