History

A community's history and developmental evolution contribute to its sense of place. The creation of local historic districts is one tool to preserve the characteristics that make a place unique. Historic Districts included in this project include Cherokee Heights, Vineville, Downtown (Central Business District) and Intown (Residential).

CHEROKEE HEIGHTS
Developed primarily between 1909 and 1960

Cherokee Heights is a planned residential suburb in Macon, Georgia that developed from 1909 until 1960. The Vineville Improvement Company, a local developer, built the original neighborhood in two phases. The first phase lasted from 1909 to 1911, and the second period occurred in 1923. After World War II, vacant lots were infilled with ranch houses that continued the pattern of single-family suburban development that began in 1909. The residential nature of the neighborhood is largely intact today, with the exception of commercial properties that have developed along Pio Nono Avenue.

DOWNTOWN (CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT)
Developed primarily between 1823 and 1973

Incorporated in December 1823, downtown Macon is the seat of Bibb County. James Webb, an engineer and surveyor, developed the distinctive gridded plan of Macon with its wide streets. The design limited fire risk and was best practice in public health to prevent the spread of the disease at that time. As the furthest west navigable point on the Ocmulgee River, Macon was ideally placed for trade between the frontier of Georgia and the coast. When the rail line between Macon and Savannah was completed in 1843, Macon’s importance as a transportation hub only grew. Macon’s buildings saw almost no damage during the Civil War, and the city’s economy quickly rebounded as textile mills developed in the area. Downtown’s buildings reflect this intense period of growth in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Due to Jim Crow segregation, this period also saw the Black business district of Cotton Avenue, now DT Walton Sr. Way, flourish. Macon saw limited construction during the Great Depression and World War II, but downtown saw a revival in the late 1950s and 1960s, leading to some significant alterations to modernize downtown buildings’ aesthetics and amenities. In 1973, an indoor shopping mall opened miles away from the central business district, and the vast majority of businesses left downtown. In the twenty-first century, downtown Macon has seen intense revitalization, and many storefronts are once again occupied by businesses.

VINEVILLE
Developed primarily between 1864 and 1970

Shortly after the establishment of the City of Macon in 1823, the village of Vineville began to grow along Forsyth Road. Originally a collection of plantation labor sites, the area became more connected to downtown Macon when Cotton Avenue developed to move agricultural goods, primarily cotton, from this area and further west to the Ocmulgee River. Later, the railroad transported these goods to coastal markets. The earliest home remaining in the district dates to 1864. In 1888, a steam-powered trolley line opened between downtown Macon and Vineville, leading to this area to develop as a “streetcar suburb.” People who worked downtown could now live in Vineville and easily commute between their homes and places of business. This connection led to the greatest period of growth in Vineville between 1910 and the Great Depression. Because of the depressed economy, new home construction in Vineville slowed dramatically in the 1930s, although it picked up some after World War II. Many of the lots in the neighborhood already held homes by the mid-twentieth century, but those homes that were constructed during this period were generally ranch houses.

INTOWN (RESIDENTIAL)
Developed primarily between 1823 and 1950

The history of the Intown neighborhood is directly connected to downtown Macon. As business began to take off in the city, many wealth business owners began to build homes on the hill overlooking downtown. Many of these elaborate homes date from prior to the Civil War, and the owners of these homes enslaved African Americans. These enslaved individuals were forced to live near their enslavers, and a few of these slave dwellings remain within the district. Because of the naturally limiting radius of walking or riding a horse and buggy to work, Intown was the first residential area in Macon, and many of the lots filled in with homes by the early twentieth century. A few residential structures developed through the mid-twentieth century. As downtown Macon lost businesses, some residents moved from the Intown neighborhood to areas further and further from downtown. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Macon Heritage Foundation began to rehabilitate buildings in sections of Intown known as Huguenin Heights and Tatnall Square Heights. Similar to downtown, a wave of revitalization activity began in earnest in this area around 2000.

Beall's Hill is a local historic district with design guidelines not included in this project. For more information on other historic districts head to Macon-Bibb Planning and Zoning or Historic Macon Foundation.

History

CHEROKEE HEIGHTS
Developed primarily between 1909 and 1960

DOWNTOWN (CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT)
Developed primarily between 1823 and 1973

VINEVILLE
Developed primarily between 1864 and 1970

INTOWN (RESIDENTIAL)
Developed primarily between 1823 and 1950

Beall's Hill is a local historic district with design guidelines not included in this project. For more information on other historic districts head to Macon-Bibb Planning and Zoning or Historic Macon Foundation.

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History

CHEROKEE HEIGHTS Developed primarily between 1909 and 1960

Beall's Hill is a local historic district with design guidelines not included in this project. For more information on other historic districts head to Macon-Bibb Planning and Zoning or Historic Macon Foundation.

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Share Your Thoughts

CHEROKEE HEIGHTS
Developed primarily between 1909 and 1960