The Cannonball House is a historically significant

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

house located at 856 Mulberry Street in Macon,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. It earned its name after sustaining damage from a cannonball strike on July 30, 1864 from the Union Army under the command of

George Stoneman George Stoneman Jr. (August 8, 1822 – September 5, 1894) was a United States Army cavalry officer and politician who served as the 15th governor of California from 1883 to 1887. Stoneman trained at West Point, graduating in 1846, and served in ...

, in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. A bronze cannon forged at the Macon Arsenal in 1864 is set in the front yard. The Cannonball House was constructed in 1853 as a planter's townhouse for Judge Asa Holt. It is also known as the Home of Judge Ada Holt or the Mansion of the Old South. The house is furnished in the period from 1853 to 1870. It contains artifacts from the world's first female college

Wesleyan College Wesleyan College is a Private university, private, Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's Colleges in the Southern United States, women's college in Macon, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1836, Wesleyan was the fi ...

. The rear of the Cannonball House has a hand-molded two-story brick kitchen. Servants’ quarters are on the upper level. Few preserved structures of this type remain in the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...

today.

History

On July 30, 1864, during the Battle of Dunlap Hill, the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

, under General

’s command, fired a cannon from what is now the

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park (formerly Ocmulgee National Monument) in Macon, Georgia, United States preserves traces of over ten millennia of culture from the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands. Its chief remains are m ...

, across the

Ocmulgee River The Ocmulgee River () is a western tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi (410 km) long, in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the westernmost major tributary of the Altamaha.Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Unio ...

's iron cannonball first struck the sand sidewalk, bounced into the left middle column of the house’s front facade, passed through a parlor, ultimately resting in the interior hallway.No one was injured or died, but Cannonball House was the only home in Macon that received damage. Judge Asa Holt lived in Cannonball House during the Civil War, and his family owned it until 1962. With the home liened for taxes and the City of Macon interested in razing it for a parking lot, the

United Daughters of the Confederacy The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is an American neo-Confederate hereditary association for female descendants of Confederate Civil War soldiers engaging in the commemoration of these ancestors, the funding of monuments to them, a ...

purchased it from the last residing family member, Miss Elizabeth Martin. The UDC made her an upstairs apartment, and she was the Cannonball House’s first tour guide.

Current uses

The house is owned and operated as a

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that is preserved as a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a variety of ...

by The Friends of the Cannonball House, a non-profit that promotes Macon’s architectural and cultural past. It displays artifacts from the

antebellum era The ''Antebellum'' South era (from ) was a period in the history of the Southern United States that extended from the conclusion of the War of 1812 to the start of the American Civil War in 1861. This era was marked by the prevalent practi ...

through the

reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in History of the United States, US history that followed the American Civil War (1861-65) and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the Abolitionism in the United States, abol ...

. Visitors can tour the house, browse the collection of Civil War artifacts, join historical and educational programs, roam the garden, and enjoy the gift shop.

Collections

The house holds several important historical pieces. Collections include those for

Alpha Delta Pi Alpha Delta Pi (), commonly known as ADPi (pronounced "ay-dee-pye"), is an International Panhellenic sorority founded on May 15, 1851, at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. It is the oldest secret society for women. Alpha Delta Pi is a member ...

(Adelphean),

Phi Mu Phi Mu () is the second oldest female fraternal organization established in the United States. The fraternity was founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia as the Philomathean Society on , and was announced publicly on March 4 of the same ...

(Philomathean),

Civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, general museum, and the servant's quarters.

Adelphean Collection

The Adelphean Society, now known as

, is the first national collegiate women's society. The parlor holds some of the society's original furnishings, window treatments, and a marble mantel.

Philomathean Collection

Today known as

, the Philomathean Collection in the house contains window treatments, some furniture, and a marble mantel.

Civil War Collection

The Civil War museum that is a part of the house displays Georgian officers' uniforms and their used weapons. Uniforms include the jacket of Richmond Depot Type II. Company flags can be found in this collection, such as the Jackson Artillery Flag.

General Museum Collection

Textiles and period clothing are found and rotated in the general collection. Quilts handmade between 1850 through 1920, nineteenth century wedding dresses, original day dresses, and children's clothing all rotate in and out of display due to their fragility.

Servant's Quarters

The Servant's Quarters' collection holds two beds, trunks, and spinning wheels. There are three tables and tea sets. More items include a wardrobe, straight chairs, a weasel, pie safe, grain bin, and bathtub.

References

External links

Judge Asa Holt House
historical marker {{National Register of Historic Places, state=collapsed Greek Revival houses in Georgia (U.S. state) Houses completed in 1853 Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state) Museums in Macon, Georgia Historic house museums in Georgia (U.S. state) Houses in Macon, Georgia 1853 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) National Register of Historic Places in Bibb County, Georgia