Historic DeWitt-McCrary House in Macon to Be Restored with $310,000 Grant
The Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority (UDA) has received a $310,000 grant from the National Park Service to restore the DeWitt-McCrary House at 320 Hydrolia Street in Macon. The funding will support masonry, siding, and roof repairs, along with electrical and HVAC improvements.
“This is a great chance to rejuvenate one of Macon’s oldest buildings and will be one of the two capstone projects for the revitalization of Mill Hill East Macon Arts Village,” said Alex Morrison, UDA Executive Director. “It will serve as a direct connection between our past and our future, linking our history to where we are going as a community.”
Located near the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, the house is set to become the new Muscogee Cultural Center. The UDA will work with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative (ONPPI) to transform the site into a multi-use cultural facility.
“We’re grateful for our Congressional delegation’s consistent support in preparing middle Georgia to be home to the country’s 64th National Park and Preserve,” said ONPPI Executive Director Seth Clark. “This investment will further strengthen the partnership between Middle Georgia and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation by allowing us to develop a space where they can tell their own story, while also finding opportunities to steward these lands outside of the park gates.”
The project is partially funded by a grant from the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service.
History of the DeWitt-McCrary House
Built in the 1870s, the DeWitt-McCrary House is a Folk Victorian-style home. Its namesake, DeWitt McCrary, was born in 1859 in Lee County and graduated from Mercer University in 1876. A pharmacist, he opened a pharmacy in 1881 at 336 Main Street. McCrary also served 12 terms as a Macon city alderman and three terms as a Bibb County Commissioner. He passed away at age 91.
In 1945, McCrary’s widow sold the home for $850 to Peyton Balkcom. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and is part of the East Macon Historic District.
For questions or comments on the project, contact UDA Executive Director Alex Morrison at 478-803-2402.
