Beyond Preservation: The 25 Year Impact of the Historic Macon Foundation
Since 1964, Historic Macon Foundation has purchased, rehabilitated and sold over 140 historic buildings throughout Macon and has become a national example of how to sensitively and successfully leverage partnerships and funding in service of neighborhood revitalization. This report examines HMF’s work in three key neighborhoods: Huguenin Heights, where they began working in 1994; Tattnall Square Heights, where they started in 2000; and Beall’s Hill, their most recent area of focus. The impact of historic preservation programs can be measured economically, but the full story of HMF’s success should be explained in more than just numbers. By both analyzing numerical data and hearing from local stakeholders and community residents, this study has drawn from qualitative and quantitative methods to assess the impact of HMF’s efforts. As HMF closes out their work in Beall’s Hill, the time is right to assess the social, economic, and environmental impact of their work–not just in Beall’s Hill, but in all the neighborhoods where they have undertaken comprehensive revitalization efforts.