Macon Historians Express Concern About A ‘Beer Cave’ From The 1800s
Georgia Department of Transportation crews were recently clearing land and removing trees as part of the I-75, I-16 interchange expansion. The trees were hiding a cave that was supposedly home to one of the state’s oldest breweries.
Chris Tsavatewa
Historians in Macon are concerned about preserving a cave that was supposedly home to one of the state’s oldest breweries.
Georgia Department of Transportation crews were recently clearing land as part of the I-75, I-16 interchange expansion when they removed trees that were hiding the cave.
GDOT has now roped off the area.
Yolanda Latimore, with the Macon Cemetery Preservation Corp., owns the cave.
“We don’t really want it to be where people can enter the cave,” Latimore said. “We kind of just want it to be where you stand right at the opening, look in and move along.”
Chris Tsavatewa, who teaches at Middle Georgia State University and is co-writing a book about Macon’s brewing history, said the cave’s historical significance can make it an interesting site for tourists.
“But we’ll also want to make sure that something of this magnitude, which has been well preserved and well taken care of by its local citizens, is properly protected,” he said.
Tsavatewa said his research shows the brewery was operated from the late 1830s until 1857.
Kimberly Larson, a spokeswoman for GDOT, said in an email the cave is in no danger of being destroyed as part of the highway interchange expansion.
Top Stories
