Old Macon Library
Also known as: Guy White Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1889 for the Macon Public Library and Historical Society, this red brick and rusticated granite building on Mulberry Street was designed by architect D. B. Woodruff in the Romanesque Revival style. A corner turret marks the stair entrance, and granite frames the windows and first-floor doorways. The building has two parts: a three-story front section with small rooms and stairs, and a two-story rear section that held a reading room about 100 by 35 feet. Its roof was carried on wood hammer beams and arches with iron tie-bars, though a lowered ceiling added in 1924 later hid them. Woodruff, once a carpenter and sash and blind manufacturer, went on to design many Macon commercial and residential buildings. The library was the city's first public library and stands among landmark buildings facing Mulberry Street Park. At the time of listing it housed commercial tenants and storage and needed repairs for settlement and roof leaks.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites its distinctive Romanesque Revival architecture, which blends with other Macon buildings of the same era and adds to the character of downtown. It is also described as Macon's first library, reflecting the city's continued cultural development. Its architect, D. B. Woodruff, designed many Macon commercial and residential buildings.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73000610, listed November 26, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 652-662 Mulberry St., Macon |
|---|---|
| County | Bibb County |
| Listed | November 26, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000610 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1889) |
| Architect / builder | D. B. Woodruff |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Fair condition; occupied. First floor in commercial use (radio and TV service, travel agency), loan office on second floor, storage on third floor and in the old reading room. Settlement cracks and roof leaks noted. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Macon Historic District |
| Coordinates | 32.83783, -83.62869 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73000610.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134130914
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.