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PRESS RELEASE |
The Georgia Trust for
Historic Preservation Announces Successful $7 Million
Fundraising Campaign
NOV. 11, 2007, The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
announced today the successful completion of its $7 million
campaign, the largest fundraising effort in the organization's
history. The capital and endowment campaign is funding the
restoration and ongoing maintenance of Johnston-Felton-Hay
House, the historic house museum in Macon owned and operated
by the Trust. To date, the Trust has exceeded its fundraising
goal by more than $600,000.
Called "The Palace of the South," Hay House is one of the
finest antebellum houses in America. Built between 1855 and
1859 in the then-30-year-old city of Macon, the Italian
Renaissance Revival mansion rises seven stories to a height of
80 feet, encompassing 18,000 square feet in two dozen rooms,
with technological innovations that did not appear in other
American mansions until a decade or more later. For example,
Hay House originally featured three bathrooms with tubs and
hot and cold running water, a complex ventilation and central
heating system, a speaker tube system connecting 15 rooms, and
a French lift equivalent to today's elevator.
Original owners Mr. and Mrs. William B. Johnston played a key
role in the architectural design and furnishing of their house
with decorative arts, paintings, sculpture and furniture, many
of which have remained with the house. With a letter of
introduction from Secretary of State Daniel Webster, the
Johnstons were afforded access to many great houses of Europe
on an extended honeymoon from 1852-1855. The two famous New
York architects who designed Hay House, Welsh-born Thomas
Thomas and his son Griffith, working as T. Thomas and Son,
later joined with ten other architects to form the National
Institute of Architecture in 1837, which 20 years later became
the American Institute of Architects. In 1926, the house was
purchased by Parks Lee Hay, Sr., a prominent Macon citizen who
turned Bankers Health & Life Insurance Company into one of the
largest insurance companies in the South. Mr. Hay moved into
the house with his wife Maude and three of his children:
Vivian (Bib), Elizabeth (Betty), and P.L., Jr. In 1974, by
virtue of its national significance, Hay House was named a
National Historic Landmark. In addition, the White House
Millennium Council designated Hay House an Official Project of
Save America's Treasures in 2000.
The capital campaign is funding the exterior restoration of
Hay House, providing a complete restoration of the House's
most public rooms on the ground and main floors, and restoring
the cupola area. Funds will also be set aside as an endowment
to permanently maintain all improvements to the restored
interior and exterior of the house and grounds.
"Hay House may be the most advanced American dwelling built in
the antebellum period for its style, craftsmanship and
technology," said Greg Paxton, president and CEO of The
Georgia Trust. "Because of its architectural and historical
significance, Hay House is the Trust's crown jewel," Paxton
added.
Confirmation of the house's national and international
significance is provided by two national grants from the
National Endowment for the Arts and the Institute of Museum
and Library Services for actual restoration of museum-quality
features of the house. In addition, The Getty Foundation
awarded Hay House an Architectural Conservation grant in 2006.
The Getty awards only 15-17 Architectural Conservation grants
each year, primarily internationally, including sites last
year in Florence and Rome, Italy; Lima, Peru; France;
Lithuania; Morocco; Macedonia and Pakistan. Antoine Wilmering,
the program officer for the Getty Foundation, said the grants
were awarded to places of "highest listing of historical
significance. The importance of this house was very clear to
the reviewers."
In Georgia, the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, The Peyton
Anderson Foundation, The Dorothy V. and N. Logan Lewis
Foundation and Williams Family Foundation of Georgia led
foundation contributors. The Georgia Trust/Hay House Boards
donated $1.65 million and Tom B. Wight, Mr. and Mrs. William
H. Anderson II, Hazel and Ben Porter and the Elizabeth Hay
McCook Curtis family led individual donors. The chairs of the
campaign were Bradley Hale and Bill Matthews, who were
actively involved in its success.
Recently completed exterior restoration includes installation
of a new copper roof, downspouts and an underground French
drainage system, in addition to restoration of the cupola,
porches and the house's curved, marble-stepped entranceway,
and garden infrastructure of walls, walkways and fountain.
Recent interior restoration includes the Hay Reception Room,
reconstruction of heart pine flooring on the ground floor,
repair of original Minton tile, and restoration of original
decorative painting and faux finishes, including wood graining
in the cupola. Future plans include restoration of the Dining
Room, Living Room and Library, and decorative finishes
throughout the house.
Hay House has been owned and operated by the Trust since the
P.L. Hay Foundation conveyed the mansion and its contents to
the Trust in 1977 to ensure its long-term preservation. Hay
House welcomes 20,000 visitors each year and is open to the
public Tuesdays-Saturdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m.
- 4 p.m. Hay House is open free of charge twice a year for Hay
Days, educational family-oriented events with live music,
carriage rides, and hands-on activities.
With more than 8,000 members, The Georgia Trust for Historic
Preservation is among the country's largest statewide,
nonprofit preservation organizations. Founded in 1973, the
Trust is committed to preserving and enhancing Georgia's
communities and their diverse historic resources for the
education and enjoyment of all.
For more information about Hay House and the Trust, go to
http://www.georgiatrust.org/ or call Katey Brown at
478-741-8155 ext. 19 or Traci Clark at 404-885-7802.
Editor's note: A luncheon to celebrate the completion of the
capital
campaign for Hay House will be held Monday, November 12 at
11:30 a.m. at Hay
House, 934 Georgia Ave., Macon, GA. Please call Traci Clark at
706-318-1158 if
you plan to attend.
For additional information on Hay House, go to
http://www.hayhouse.org.
High resolution images of Hay House can be downloaded at
http://www.georgiatrust.org/whatsnew/imagesgallery.htm.
Source: The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
CONTACT: Contacts: Traci Clark, +1-404-885-7802, Cell:
+1-706-318-1158,
tclark@georgiatrust.org , Katey Brown, +1-478-742-8155
x.19,
kbrown@georgiatrust.org , both of The Georgia Trust for
Historic Preservation.
Web Site:
http://www.georgiatrust.org/
http://www.hayhouse.org/ |
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