Johnston-Felton-Hay House

Infobox_nrhp | name =Johnston-Hay House
nrhp_type =nhl

---

caption = The Johnston-Felton-Hay House in Macon was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974.
location= Macon, Georgia
lat_degrees = 32
lat_minutes = 50
lat_seconds = 26
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 83
long_minutes = 38
long_seconds = 4
long_direction = W
locmapin = Georgia
area =
built =1855
architect= Ayres,James B.
architecture= Renaissance, Other
added = May 27, 1971
governing_body = Private
refnum=71000259cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

The Johnston-Felton-Hay House, often abbreviated the Hay House, is a historic residence in Macon, Georgia. Built from 1855 to in 1859 in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, it has been called the "Palace of the South." The mansion sits atop Coleman Hill on Georgia Avenue in downtown Macon, near the Walter F. George School of Law, part of Mercer University.

The 18,000-square-foot, 24-room home has four levels and is crowned by a three-story cupola. The mansion's technological amenities, including hot and cold running water, central heat, a speaker-tube system, in-house kitchen and an elaborate ventilation system, were unsurpassed for the mid-19th century. The approximate cost of construction in 1855 was $125,000. Most other homes being build in the neighborhood at that time cost $6000 - $12,000.

House history

Two families lived in Hay House over three generations. Most of the home’s present-day furnishings date from the Hay family’s occupancy (1926-1962). A few pieces are from the Johnston family (1860-1896), most notably the Eastlake-style dining room suite. The most notable piece in the collection may be the 1857 marble statue, "Ruth Gleaning," by American expatriate sculptor Randolph Rogers.

The Johnstons

William Butler Johnston obtained his substantial wealth through investments in banking, railroads and public utilities rather than from the agrarian cotton economy. In 1851, he married Anne Clark Tracy, 20 years his junior, and the couple embarked on an extended honeymoon in Europe. During their trip, the Johnstons visited hundreds of museums, historic sites and art studios. They collected fine porcelains, sculptures and paintings as mementos during their grand tour. Inspired by the Italian architecture they observed, the Johnstons constructed the monumental Italian Renaissance Revival mansion in Macon upon their return to America. [http://www.georgiatrust.org/historic_sites/hayhousehistory.html] Only two of the Johnstons' six children survived to adulthood. Caroline and Mary Ellen Johnston were born in 1862 and 1864, respectively, and grew up in the house on Georgia Avenue.

The Feltons

After the death of Mrs. Johnston in 1896, daughter Mary Ellen and her husband, Judge William H. Felton, lived in the house. They remodeled and redecorated parts of the house, updated the plumbing and added electricity. [http://www.georgiatrust.org/historic_sites/hayhousehistory.html] Their only child, William Hamilton Felton, Jr., was born in 1889. He married Luisa Macgill Gibson in 1915, and the newlywed couple soon moved in with the Feltons. They and their two sons, William Hamilton Felton III and George Gibson Felton, lived in the house until 1926.

The Hays

Following the deaths of Judge and Mrs. Felton in 1926, their heirs sold the house to Parks Lee Hay, Sr., founder of the Banker's Health & Life Insurance Company, for $61,500. The Hays substantially redecorated the house to reflect the changing character of 20th-century living, and the house continued to be recognized as a local landmark for gracious living. [http://www.georgiatrust.org/historic_sites/hayhousehistory.html]

Present day

After Mrs. Hay's death in 1962, her heirs established the P.L. Hay Foundation and operated the house as a private house museum. The Hay House serves as a special events facility and historic house museum. The property is one of Macon's most popular tourist attractions.

The home was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974. In 1977, ownership of the house was formally transferred to The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.

References

Jones, Tommy H.; Margaret Hall, editor, "The Johnstons, Feltons, & Hays: 100 Years in the Palace of the South", Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, 1993.

External links

* [http://www.georgiatrust.org/historic_sites/hay_house.htm Hay House]