Special guided tour of historic Macon buildings to be led by the Historic Macon Foundation

The Historic Macon Foundation (HMF) will be hosting a meet and greet event and a guided tour of Macon’s historic buildings on March 28 at 6 p.m.

The tour will begin and end at the Sidney Lanier Cottage on High Street, and a wine reception will be hosted where people can meet board members and employees of the HMF.

“We want to meet you,” said Rachelle Wilson, the HMF Director of Engagement. “Something that’s important is for people to realize that preservation is accessible and everyone can be a preservationist.”

The houses in Macon between Tattnall Square Park and Coleman Hill park are the center of the tour. Some of the houses were built as long ago as the 1830s, while others are newer, having been built in the 1920s. These specific houses are important because they are some of the first residences in Macon.

According to lightsonmacon.com, the “Lights On Macon” tour is normally self-guided, but this time will be different. Long-standing preservation advocate Maryel Battin will be leading attendees on an hour-long version of the tour.

“I’ve actually only just met Maryel Battin for the first time, but I’ve heard her name ever since I started working here,” Wilson said.. “Her name is huge. We have a preservation award named after her.”

If you are interested in taking the tour on your own time, the Lights On Macon website suggests beginning at the Hay House at 934 Georgia Ave. Parking is available in front of the building on the side of the street.

While you are taking the tour, keep an eye out for grey and black signs that signify the houses featured on the tour, or stay on track by taking a look at the map available online.

The HMF was the outcome of a merger between the Middle Georgia Historical Society and the Macon Heritage Foundation, and “the goal of the merger was to create a stronger, more efficient and effective voice for historic preservation in Middle Georgia,” according to the HMF website.

“Our mission is to revitalize communities through preserving architecture and sharing histories,” Wilson said.

The goal of the meet-and-greet is to bridge the gap between the community and preservation efforts.

“We’ll have a few volunteers, board members (and) staff there, and hopefully some new faces,” Wilson said. “We’ll end at the cottage and have a little wine reception. So people can mingle and get to know us and learn about our organization and a piece of Macon’s beautiful history.”

For more information about the event visit the HMF Facebook page.