‘Untold Stories’ exhibit sheds light on history of Black individuals at historic Hay House

“Untold Stories,” a new exhibit at Macon’s historic Hay House, will shed light on the Black individuals who helped construct and operate the home.

The seven-story mansion is an architectural time capsule, offering visitors a glimpse into the lives of the three families that lived in the historic home from 1860 to 1962 before it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974.

The permanent exhibit is installed in the home’s original kitchen and chronicle the lives of the Black people who contributed to Hay House from enslavement to emancipation, the Jim Crow era, segregation and the Civil Rights Movement.

“It’s very important to me that we begin telling those stories in a bigger way,” Hay House Executive Director Aubrey Newby said. 

Before becoming director last May, Newby formerly served on the Hay House board and the board for the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, which has owned the home since 1977.

Black historians compiled a timeline out of historical documents, newspapers and letters from the original families, said Newby, who noted that some research into the archives occurred in the early 2000s for an ‘Invisible Hands’ tour, but the new exhibit will be the first installation to take a close look at this previously untold side of history. 

The “Untold Stories” exhibit reveals details about five of the nine enslaved people owned by the original house’s inhabitants, the Johnson family. The images and documents displayed include the original bill of sale for Adeline Hall, an enslaved woman who became a fixture in the Johnson household and stayed with the family even after emancipation.

Visitors to Hay House will be able to hear recordings of Chester Davis, the Hay family’s butler and chauffeur who later guided tour groups through the historic home when it first became a museum. 

Primus Moore, an enslaved brick mason and plasterer, is recognized in the exhibit for contributing to the home’s intricate and lavish designs, like the decorative ceilings. He later went on to become the first minority contractor in Macon and worked on the City Hall building.

None of the house’s advanced innovations — indoor bathrooms, running water, ventilation system and gas lighting — would have been possible without the work of Black individuals running the Hay House’s day-to-day operations, according to Newby. 

The home is an “architectural marvel” and an “asset to this community,” he said. He hopes students who visit the historic landmark will see some of their own history reflected in the “Untold Stories” exhibit. 

“It needs to be relevant to all of our community,” Newby said. “Everyone has a part of the story here and we have to tell that part of the story.”

The permanent exhibit is open to the public, with new installations being added over time.