On Monday, November 14 at the Ruth Hartley Mosley Memorial Women’s Center, a group of community partners, known as the Cotton Avenue Coalition, announced plans to revitalize and celebrate the historic Cotton Avenue district.

"Historic preservation is more than saving buildings,” said Ethiel Garlington, executive director of Historic Macon. “The Cotton Avenue neighborhood is still the most diverse area of our community and by forming a coalition of partners we hope to continue raising awareness about the past and future of the area."

The Cotton Avenue Coalition consists of Historic Macon Foundation, the Macon-Bibb County Commission, the Macon Convention and Visitors Bureau, Ruth Hartley Mosley Memorial Women’s Center, First Baptist Church, Holsey Temple CME Church, Steward Chapel AME Church, and Washington Avenue Presbyterian Church. All of these community partners are invested in the preservation and revitalization of Macon’s historic African American business district. Each partner brings a unique perspective regarding the religious, social, and economic life of the area.

Several of the structures that serve as cornerstones of the district are churches. Churches have played a prominent role in the Cotton Avenue district throughout its history but some of these structures are under threat due to deferred maintenance and development pressure. Cotton Avenue was placed on Macon’s Fading Five, a list of endangered properties published by Historic Macon Foundation annually, in 2015 after the demolition of Tremont Temple and the Douglass House. Cotton Avenue remained on the 2016 Fading Five list due to continued development pressure in the district. The Cotton Avenue Coalition was formed as a proactive measure to prevent the loss of other important buildings.

Commissioner Elaine Lucas has been working to with the Macon-Bibb County Commission to make Cotton Avenue a local historic district. Designation of the area as a local historic district could provide an added layer of protection of historic properties in the area, particularly historic churches.

In addition to local historic designation, the Cotton Avenue Coalition will host events to attract more residents to enjoy the historically African American business district. The Coalition announced the first of these events, the Cotton Avenue Revival.

The Cotton Avenue Revival takes place November 16-18. Services will take place each evening at 7pm at Holsey Temple CME Church located at 1011 Washington Avenue. For more information, call 478-742-6409.