NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 1, 2013
Historic Macon Contact: Josh Rogers (478) 742-5084 jrogers@historicmacon.org
Porter Charitable Trust Contact: Stephens Lamb (478) 755-5173 stephens.lamb@suntrust.com
Wesleyan College Contact: Doug MacMillan (478) 757-5187 dmacmillan@wesleyancollege.edu
HISTORIC PORTER HOUSE SPARED DEMOLITION, WILL MOVE TO WESLEYAN MACON, Ga.
— A country house is moving to the city. Thanks to an agreement executed on April 30, the historic James Hyde Porter house will be moved from its current location on Allen Road to the Tucker Road entrance on the campus of Wesleyan College. One year ago, the trustees of Porterfield Baptist Church reluctantly voted to demolish the historically significant 1927 James Hyde Porter House on Allen Road. The church was built around the house after Mr. Porter’s death. Porterfield Baptist used and maintained the French-chateau-inspired Normandy-style home until a 2008 storm damaged the roof and forced the church to vacate the building. Without funds to complete the restoration, demolition seemed to be the only option to keep the church campus safe. Fortunately, a partnership among Wesleyan College, Historic Macon Foundation, and the James Hyde Porter Charitable Trust is set to move the house to Wesleyan’s campus and fully restore the building. According to Doug MacMillan, Wesleyan College’s Vice President for Institutional Development, “Wesleyan is positively thrilled about being able to help move, restore, and preserve James Hyde Porter’s country home. Doing so strengthens our ability to tell the story of one of Wesleyan’s greatest supporters. In addition, we are returning an important middle Georgia landmark to a place of prominence. We are grateful for our partnership with the James Hyde Porter Charitable Trust and Historic Macon, and we look forward to future projects that will strengthen our shared service to the city of Macon.” Porter Trust Committee Member Jane Miller said, “It is so exciting to partner with Wesleyan College in the moving and restoration of my great, great uncle's home. The building will provide an opportunity for people to learn about James Hyde Porter, a visionary whose legacy continues to enrich the entire community of Macon.” Known as one of Wesleyan’s greatest benefactors, James Hyde Porter was a trustee of the College for many years. His generosity has influenced the lives of generations of Wesleyannes through the many projects and numerous good works he funded at Wesleyan. Emphasizing the importance of this agreement, Historic Macon Executive Director Josh Rogers continued, “The Porter House is unique in all of Middle Georgia and is one of W. Elliott Dunwody’s most unusual and attractive commissions.” Several of the buildings on the Wesleyan campus are also the works of W. Elliott Dunwody, including the Porter Fine Arts Building, Huckabee Hall, the Jones and Hightower residence halls, the Murphey Art Building, and the Willet Library. At the beginning of June, the house will be placed on steel rails and moved by truck to its new location. The move and the restoration of the house are being funded by a grant from the Porter Trust to Wesleyan College. Wesleyan will furnish the house and install a significant memorial to Porter in recognition of his support for Wesleyan in life and afterwards. A public ceremony will be held to commemorate the restoration of the house as soon as the project is complete. Office of Communications • Wesleyan College 4760 Forsyth Road • Macon, Georgia 31210-4462 USA (478) 757-5134 • FAX (478) 757-5104 • www.wesleyancollege.edu
Wesleyan College, a four-year national liberal arts institution for women, is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and was founded in 1836 as the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women.
“Saving this house is major win for historic preservation efforts,” Rogers concluded.
Attachment 1: The James Hyde Porter House
About Wesleyan College Founded in 1836, as the world’s first college chartered to grant degrees to women, Wesleyan College originally was located in downtown Macon. When the College outgrew its downtown location, officials decided to purchase a site for a new campus in the suburban neighborhood of Rivoli on the northern outskirts of Macon. The core of the present campus was built between 1927 and 1928. Wesleyan College is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the Wesleyan College Historic District. The designation was approved for Wesleyan because the campus meets four areas of significance – architecture, landscape architecture, community planning and development, and education. Wesleyan College is regarded as one of the nation’s finest liberal arts colleges and is consistently recognized for academic excellence. For several years the Princeton Review has ranked Wesleyan among the Best Private College Values in America. About Historic Macon Foundation Historic Macon Foundation is a nonprofit organization in Macon, Ga., created by the merger of the Middle Georgia Historical Society and the Macon Heritage Foundation in 2003. Historic Macon’s mission is to revitalize the community by preserving architecture and sharing history. The organization advocates for Macon’s historic and architectural heritage, facilitates preservation and revitalization efforts in the community and maintains and promotes the Sidney Lanier Cottage. Historic Macon’s offices are located in the Sidney Lanier Cottage at 935 High St., Macon, GA 31201. For more information, visit www.historicmacon.org or call 478/742-5084. About the James Hyde Porter Testamentary Trust Managed by Stephens Lamb, Senior Vice President of Private Wealth Management with SunTrust Bank, the Porter Trust was created in 1949 by the estate of prominent citizen and Macon philanthropist James Hyde Porter and supports various charitable organizations in Bibb and Newton counties that provide human services, education, cultural programming and artistic value. During the past 25 years alone, the Trust has granted more than $15 million to support the work of over 150 organizations.
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Office of Communications • Wesleyan College 4760 Forsyth Road • Macon, Georgia 31210-4462 USA (478) 757-5134 • FAX (478) 757-5104 • www.wesleyancollege.edu
Wesleyan College, a four-year national liberal arts institution for women, is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and was founded in 1836 as the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women.