Originally the home of Wesleyan Methodist Church, the now vacant church served as the spiritual home for the True Faith COGIC church and the Higher Ground Ministries.
Wesleyan Methodist Church of Macon, Georgia
Tag Archives: Bibb County
Hillcrest United Methodist Church of Macon, Georgia
Built in 1950, the Hillcrest United Methodist Church was active until at least 2006. It is now vacant.
Constantine-Brickle Lustron House-Macon, Georgia
This Macon Lustron is the remaining one in town. Lustron houses were prefabricated, enameled steel homes built for a short time between 1948 and 1950 to address housing shortages caused by World War II. They were designed with built-in cabinets and radiant heating, a method to deliver heat via the floor or walls.
Charles and Myrtle Constantine were the first homeowners of the MO23 model in desert tan. Cecil and Hazel Brickle purchased the home in 1960 for $8,750.
In Spirit Saving Bank and Praying Tower-Macon, Georgia
If you are a native of Macon, Georgia, you likely have driven past one of the structures designed by local builder Bartholomew Duhart. After driving by his multi-arched entrance at the Mosley and Jesus Mission of Love Holiness Church Cemeteries, I became interested in his work. Thankfully, Historic Macon had written about him, so I was able to learn more about him and where his structures still existed. I also researched to see what else I could discover about Duhart.
Duhart trained as a mason but took additional classes through his Masonry Union to further develop his skills. A profoundly spiritual man who was civically engaged, Duhart was an ordained minister who was involved in a variety of civic organizations. He gave back to the community by helping with church restorations. He also donated land for the building of a recreation center. This donation meant one of his creations, a multi-storied restaurant was demolished.
One of his buildings and a wooden edifice still exist on Columbus Road. The first is the In Spirit Saving Bank, and the other is the Praying Tower. They are built close to each other. Tax records indicate the bank was built in 1920, and I found a record of a land transfer to Duhart in May 1980. I am uncertain if Duhart built it from scratch or heavily modified the building. Much of his work featured circles or arches, which is apparent in this building’s design. Circles are a common feature in religions, most often interpreted as symbols of eternity. The building was most recently is restaurant but is currently unused.
The second structure is the Praying Tower. According to his family, this was supposed to be one of several installations that were going to be made. (Think Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden or St. Eom’s Pasaquan.)
Villa Albicini-Macon, Georgia
Villa Albicini was designed by Neel Reid and built for local florist Daniel Horgan. The Beaux Arts/ Italian Baroque revival home was completed in 1927 by Phillip Trammel Schutze after the death of Reid in 1926. The home is also known as the Horgan-McCook-Curtis place.
The home was built with only two bedrooms but a third was added later. The home gives an air of being abandoned, especially with dusty old car that sits on the driveway. In 2023, it was put on the market for $1,500,000.
Photo credit to my friend Liz Clappin who took photos for me as all my devices decided to die within minutes of each other.
Ellamae Ellis League House-Macon, Georgia
Ellamae Ellis League was the fourth woman to become a registered architect in Georgia. League came from a family of architects. Her uncle, Charles Choate, a noted architect, encouraged her to pursue architecture. Unfortunately, the only place to get a degree in architecture was the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the school did not allow women at the time.
She was able to get an apprenticeship with a local Macon firm. She then took correspondence courses with the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design while working for the firm. After additional schooling with the Ecole des Beaux-Arts at Fontainebleau and passing the state licensure exam, League opened her own firm in 1933.
In 1940, League designed this home she lived in until her passing in 1991. The home is one of the earliest examples of a mid-century ranch in Georgia. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The home is now owned by Historic Macon.