Robert Train Building reopens with new tenant, same purpose – Macon-Bibb County
On Wednesday, March 16, Macon-Bibb County, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative, Extension, and Historic Macon Foundation celebrated the reopening and revitalization of the Robert Train Building (715 Oglethorpe Street) with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
The building was listed on Historic Macon’s Fading Five List and thanks to voter-approved Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds, it was renovated and saved. Now, it is home to the UGA Cooperative Extension which offers a wide variety of services and programs including 4-H, gardening & landscaping workshops, consultations and soil testing, cooking and nutrition demonstrations, financial literacy classes, and more.
“The Robert Train Building is in a much more visible location that is more inviting to the public. These are great improvements over our previous location,” says Karol Kelly, County Extension Coordinator. “We’re now within walking distance of several neighborhoods. With the green space, teaching kitchen, and auditorium, we’ll be able to offer new hands-on educational opportunities and services to more people.”
The building went through major renovations to bring it back to life, including exterior and interior painting, a new elevator, a security system, furniture and fixtures, and new roofing, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.
“Because of an agreement when Bibb Manufacturing donated the building to the City of Macon, there were restrictions on what we could do with this building. It had to be for the public benefit, and I can’t think of a better use for this today with the County Extension,” said Historic Macon Executive Director Ethiel Garlington.
Construction the building happened in two phases. The first started in September 2020.
“This is a great example of taking blight and turning it into something beautiful the community can look at and benefit from,” said Mayor Lester Miller. “We are so thankful for everyone who worked tirelessly to make this renovation happen.”
For decades, the Train building was an integral part of the Beall’s Hill community. Generations of Macon residents remember taking swimming lessons there, playing basketball or taking an assortment of classes. Macon Manufacturing bought the property in 1850 in order to supply water to the mill, and Bibb Manufacturing (as it was known later), built the Center in 1920 for its workers in the nearby mill village. The property was donated to the City of Macon in 1966 with the stipulation it only be used for public or charitable purposes, and it was used as a recreation center until 1980. It’s had other uses but has sat mostly vacant for many years.
If you would like to learn more about the UGA Cooperative Extension and the classes it offers, visit its Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/BibbCountyCooperativeExtension or website, caes.uga.edu/extension/bibb.
