Tattnall Square Park has been a vital part of the Macon community for generations and remains an important landmark to this day.
The park has an incredibly rich history, with the park seeing many changes and updates through its 170-year history. Despite its age, the park has remained a popular spot for Macon residents to relax, walk, and enjoy nature.
Macon-Bibb County Head of Parks and Recreation, Robert Walker, has focused on keeping the park up to date with plenty of renovations. Walker addressed these updates saying,
“There’s a natural stage in front of the pickleball facility, we have had tons of community events, there are health fairs, even some small concerts in those areas,” Walker said. “We just wanted to make the park more user friendly. We added some more sidewalks, things like that, to make the park just usable for everybody that attended.”
While these recent updates have helped the park remain a popular spot, Tattnall has undergone a multitude of changes over the decades.
According to the Friends of Tattnall Square Park, a local group that helps preserve the park and keep its past alive, the Park’s storied history began in 1854 when it made its first appearance on a map. The FOTSP website provides a brief history and timeline of the park from that point to current day.
The Friends of Tattnall Square Park says the 16-acre square was named after a revolutionary War hero and Georgia Gov. Josiah Tattnall Jr.. During the Civil War, shortly after the park’s creation, it served as a camping ground for Union Soldiers following the capture of Macon.
A couple decades following, in 1872, Mercer University’s then president, Archibald John Battle, organized the first society for the improvement of the park.
This effort by President Battle proved fruitful, as the park quickly became a staple in the Macon community.
The love the community had for the park was showcased in 1883. According to Friends of Tattnall, when Macon attempted to sell half of the park’s land, this idea was met with public outcry and the community rallied together to keep their beloved park the way it was.
The love for Tattnall continued to grow throughout the years, so much so that in 1910 the Georgia State Legislature discussed the removal of the state capital from Atlanta to the park.
According to Friends of Tattnall , in 1988 the City Council would once again attempt to sell a section of the Park’s land, this time for a senior citizens center. This idea would once again be swiftly shut down by the community.
In 2011, the Friends of Tattnall Square park was established, ensuring the Park’s elaborate history would be preserved.
Walker said Macon-Bibb Parks & Recreation has put its focus into making Tattnall usable for all age groups.
“It’s a multi-generational park, meaning, people from all ages can use the park at the same time,” he said.
On top of this, Walker focuses on meeting the wants of the community. One way he did this was by advocating for the addition of the pickle ball courts, which became a massive hit. As well as this Tattnall hosts fun events like concerts and movie nights, bringing people of all ages together.
“We won’t ever have another Tattnall Square Park, because every part is unique and built to the wants of the community,” Walker said.
With all of these recent updates, Walker said it isn’t likely Tattnall has many major renovations left to come, other than a possible upgrade to the playground.
“Just the amount of people we see and the various age groups that we see come to the park, It’s just a staple in the community, Walker said. “It will always be a staple in the community, and people will continue to enjoy Tattnall Square Park for years to come.”
