Hay House has been called "the most modern antebellum mansion ever built". Costing $100,000 back in 1860, the mansion has indoor plumbing, a circular brick breezeway that sent cool air into the house, and plenty of closet space. Five years went into the making of the house after its owners, William Butler Johnson and bride, returned from a three year honeymoon. Constructed in Italian Renaissance Revival the house incorporates alcoves, spiral staircases, stained-glass windows, and 500 pound front doors painted to look like metal.
Hay House has 24 rooms, 18,000 square feet of living space, and several interesting tales and architectural oddities. From silk and damask draperies, to the statuary and cleverly concealed "early air conditioning" of the ventilation system, Hay House is a wonderful beauty to see.
It is located at 924 Georgia Avenue and is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 4:30 pm and Sunday 1 to 4:30 pm. Adult admission is around $6, students $4, and children under 6 are free. Call for events and information at (912) 742-8155
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