JOURNALISM LEGEND BACK IN TOWN FOR NEW BOOK
In the vast world of journalism, Tom Johnson has seen it all.
Johnson, a Macon native, is a former publisher of the Los Angeles Times and former president of CNN. He is returning to Macon on Nov. 5 to discuss his new book "Driven: A Life in Public Service and Journalism from LBJ to CNN."
The evening will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m. in the Presidents Dining Room at Mercer University, located within the University Center at 1501 Mercer University Drive. Johnson will discuss his book in conversation with Ed Grisamore, a writer and columnist for The Macon Melody, starting at 6 p.m. A book signing will follow, with a limited number of books available for purchase.
The event is co-sponsored by Historic Macon, the Peyton Anderson Foundation, the Knight Foundation and Mercer University.
OUR NEXT SALON EXPLORES SOUTHERN INGENUITY
When's the last time you thought about the economic power of a cabbage?
In the early 20th century South, a simple garden vegetable could be the key to financial solvency for many rural women.
Join us for our next Sidney's Salon on Thursday, Nov. 6, as we host Dr. Kathryn L. Beasley for a fascinating talk on her book, “The Proof is in the Dough: Rural Southern Women, Extension, and Making Money.”
It captures the ingenuity and enterprise of Southern women who leveraged their skills and environment into a robust market economy. As one home demonstration agent noted in a letter, "The women have turned cabbage, beans, beets, etc., into Fords and learned how to drive them."
The book features remarkable historical photographs and some of the recipes that these entrepreneurial women used.
You can pick up your copy today by visiting our friends at Bear’s Books. They’ll also be on site to sell books the day of the event.
We will gather at our office, the old Fire Hall No. 4 at 950 Third St., for our final Salon of the season. Light refreshments will be served at 5:30 p.m., and the presentation will begin at 6. You can learn more and register HERE.
2025 MACON’S FADING FIVE LIST REVEALED NOV. 13
Historic Macon is announcing its new entry to the 2025 Macon’s Fading Five list on Thursday, Nov. 13.
The preservation nonprofit will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. at the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce office, 338 Poplar St. Historic Macon will also announce which of the current sites on the list will be rotating off.
In 2015, Historic Macon began calling attention to endangered, significant sites across Macon-Bibb County through its Fading Five program. In 2014, the community lost two historic structures, Tremont Temple Baptist Church and the former Charles H. Douglass home, to commercial development, prompting the initiative.
Historic Macon sifts through nominations each year to craft its Fading Five list. 2025 marks the 11th year of the program, which targets historic sites across Macon-Bibb County that could be lost, especially due to neglect or insensitive development.
A new list is announced annually, with updates for each site. A property remains on the list until the Fading Five jury, composed of Historic Macon members and community representatives, determines that it has been appropriately preserved or is no longer under threat.
Our mission is to revitalize communities by preserving architecture and sharing history.
One of the benefits of your property residing in a National Register Historic District is preservation incentives. Historic tax credits allow citizens to undertake rehabilitation projects at a reasonable cost and Historic Macon is here to walk you through that process.
A key part of Historic Macon's mission is education. We tell the stories of people who make a difference in our preservation community, as well as those pioneering visionaries whose shoulders we stand on today. Read more about them HERE.