The City of Macon, Georgia (population 97,255), was founded in 1823 on the banks of the Ocmulgee River. The range of its historic resources is broad, including prehistoric Indian mounds and a notable concentration of antebellum and Victorian buildings.
The city has 10 National Register Historic Districts and is one of the top three Georgia cities in buildings, districts, and acreage listed in the National Register. Four of the historic districts focus on African-American resources, including the Pleasant Hill Historic District, which was among the first African-American neighborhoods in the country to be placed on the National Register.
Macon is currently promoting preservation on several fronts. Targeted efforts are underway to revitalize two deteriorated historic neighborhoods, Tatnall Square Heights and Beall's Hill/Central South. NewTown Macon, Inc., a non-profit community development corporation, is working to attract new investment to Macon's downtown through initiatives such as development of the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail, a 10-mile river walk.
The city is also working with the Georgia Conservancy to study the feasibility of seeking designation of an Ocmulgee National Heritage Corridor.
A critically important resource along the river is Ocmulgee National Monument. Administered by the National Park Service, it preserves a continuous record of human life in the Southeast from the earliest times to the present. From Ice-Age hunters to the Muscogee (Creek) people of historic times, the area contains evidence of 12,000 years of human habitation.
Macon is a lead member of Georgia's Antebellum Trail, a 100-mile Macon-to-Athens tour. Within the city are several established self-guided tours, including a Music Heritage Tour, which celebrates the influence of Macon natives such as Otis Redding and Little Richard. Both its history and its music are the reason Macon is known as the "Song and Soul of the South."
Designated a Preserve America Community in March 2004.