Johnston-Felton-Hay House

Inspired by the Tuscan architecture they had observed in Italy, on returning to America they hired architect Thomas Thomas of New York to build them a home in which they could house their artefacts - the most notable piece in the collection today is probably the 1857 marble statue, “Ruth Gleaning” by the American sculptor, Randolph Rogers (1825-1892), who lived most of his life in Italy.

The result of Thomas’ design was a majestic 24-room, 18,000 square foot Italian Renaissance palazzo, crowned by an 80 foot cupola and fully deserving of it’s sobriquet, the ‘Palace of the South’. Featured on A&E’s television series, America’s Castles, it is considered the most advanced antebellum building in America for it’s style, craftsmanship and technical innovations. It is said that the architect brought over Italian workmen to construct the extraordinary house – it being doubtful whether local talent unused to such techniques could have matched their craftsmanship.

In stark contrast to many of the South’s great houses of that era, Hay House is characterized by the symmetry of it’s arches and curves, in opposition to the straight lines that characterize the more often found Greek Revival mansions.

The central block of this red brick house with white pediments is flanked by two identical wings. It is approached at the front by the white stone steps that splay out and lead up to a balustrade terrace that extends across the façade. In front of the main entrance, the terrace bows in a semi-circle. The great front doors, with their lion’s head insets, appear to be bronze but are in fact pine; expertly painted and weathered to give a flawless impression of having been riveted in bronze. Standing back, the second floor windows are seen to bear heavy white pediments, while those on the third floor ‘attic’ frieze are round. The roof of the main block is balanced by pairs of statuesque chimneys on either side and crowned by a central octagonal cupola over a further three storeys, intersected with scrolled buttresses. The cupola is not just decorative, it is an integral part of the ventilation system, acting as a chimney so as to draw the hot air up and out of the house.

If the exterior is striking, the interior gives way to an even more lavish setting. The rooms on the first floor include a ballroom, an art gallery, the 1,200 square foot music room (note the 30-foot clerestory ceiling), the dining room (note the Johnston’s Eastlake-style dining room suite), separate parlors for the ladies and the gentlemen, and a walk-in pantry. Features of note include Carrara marble mantels in all the formal rooms; walnut, oak and rosewood graining; marble trompe l’oeil (“tricks of the eye”); painted ceilings; exquisite plasterwork; 24-karat gold leafing; stained glass windows; sparkling chandeliers and splendid 18th century furnishings. Some of the “tricks of the eye” include ‘doorways’ that are painted on, false roofs, etc. Some of these tricks would have been to save money, while others were done to maintain the symmetry that was so critical to Italian renaissance architecture.

The upper two floors are filled with bedrooms, each one with it’s own walk-in closet. Hidden within the house is the secret room where Johnston – Keeper of the Confederate Treasury during the American Civil War – held gold and silver for the Confederacy; the largest money reserve south of Richmond. The house was also fitted with a number of cutting-edge amenities for the 1850s: three bathrooms with hot and cold running water; central heating; a fifteen room speaker-tube system; a large in-house kitchen; a French lift (elevator) and of course the elaborate ventilation system.

Originally the Johnston estate was composed of 3.8 acres. The Hay family added the driveway and brick gateposts. They also redesigned and replanted the grounds and added the lower garden and fish pond. The ginkgo trees, magnolias and cedars date to the 19th century and are among the few surviving trees from that era.

Several ghost-sightings have been recorded over the years, notably recounted by the last butler of the house, Chester Davis. A lady has been seen outside the back door, where she taps on the glass to get people’s attention. When she is inside, she makes her presence known by footsteps in the halls, slamming doors, and moaning in the mater bedroom. Visitors have often reported hearing the sound of someone breathing over their shoulder and cold spots are evident on the staircases. Some suggest the lady is Mary Ellen (Johnston) Felton while others have been unable to confirm the identity of the lady who reputedly haunts the house. The Georgia Trust, who run the property today, refuse to discuss the matter, in adherence to their strictly ‘no ghosts’ policy.

Only two daughters of the Johnstons six children grew to adulthood. After the death of Mrs Anne Johnston in 1896, the house was inherited by their younger daughter, Mary Ellen Johnston (1864-1928), the wife of Judge William Hamilton Felton (1859-1928). The Feltons remodelled and updated certain parts of the house, including the plumbing and electricity. They were well-known in the region for the entertainments they held there and their gracious style of living. They both died in 1928, and their children, who had also lived there, chose to sell the house to Parks Lee Hay (1873-1957) and his second wife, Maude Saxon (Bankey) Murphy (d.1962).

The book Sunrise (2008) by Jacqueline Cook, is the fictionalized account of the true story of William Johnston and Anne Tracy. Cook’s extensive research was enhanced by family reminiscences of the Johnston’s great-grandson, George Felton, that brought the story to life.

In 1964, two years after the death of Mrs Hay, the Hay family opened the house to the public with the encouragement of the Macon Chamber of Commerce. It quickly became a popular tourist destination, with tours conducted by Chester Davis, the Hay family’s long-serving butler. In 1971, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1974 it was recognized as a National Historic Landmark. By 1977, the Hay family were unable to meet the financial requirements needed to preserve the house and it was conveyed with a small endowment to the Georgia Trust for Historic Conservation, who continue manage it to this day.

A trip to the house is almost a must for anyone passing near Macon. The house is available for guided tours and functions. The museum shop features Victorian inspired gifts such as: decorative art glass, authentic North Georgia pottery, books of regional interest including civil war history and history of architectural design and decorative arts and cookbooks; reproductions of architectural remnants such as finials from iron fences and brackets; and Georgia food products. Of special interest are pewter reproductions of mint julep cups designed by Edmund Johnston, brother of Hay House builder William Butler Johnson. The Johnston brothers jointly owned a jewelry business in Macon.