On 934 Georgia Avenue in historictic downtown Macon, GA, the Hay House still remains a National Historic Landmark and one of the most distunguished structures of the city. First constructed in 1855, the house has undergone many rennovations by its various owners throughout its existence--the Johnstons, Feltons, and Hays. The Hay House is primarily identifiable by arches and curves and was designed in the style of Italian Renassaince Revival. It is 18,000 square feet and filled with 4 floors and a copious amount of fine art by its original owner, William Johnston, who was an investor that collected scultptures, paintings, and valuable porcelains. Today, the Hay House is a museum to the public and offers a grand tour of the vast home which includes all 24 rooms. It also is used as a rental space for special events such as weddings and banquets. 

In comparison to the Jarndyce home Bleak House found in Charles Dickens's novel Bleak House , the Hay House is similar in stature and history and how it also rests upon a lush, green hill. And compared to the real model used for Bleak House-- Dickens's retreat Broadstairs located in Kent-- it also was turned into a museum offering tours to the public. As said in chapter six of the novel, "It was one of those delightfully irregular houses where you go up and down steps out of one room into another, and where you come upon more rooms when you think you have seen all there are," (Dickens, 77). This is very much the same to the layout of the Hay House, which seems to have an endless exploration of one room into the next, including special access to a wine cellar, attic spaces, and even a secret room. It feels like a peculiar adventure of its own to walk through the Hay House, just as that of Bleak House. 

The Hay House and Bleak House are different in their architectural styles, where Hay House is of the Italian orientation and Bleak House is Victorian. The Hay House is also larger in size. The comparison between the Hay House and Bleak House is significant because of the sense of homeliness found in both places, whether by their owners or by strangers brought into the home. While shown in Dickens's narrative, the Hay House also demonstrates in real time the impact a historical landmark can have on a community that otherwise keeps people repeatedly coming back to re-tell its history and create new memories. 

Sources:

Hay House Macon, 2020. Historic Home. [online]. hayhousemacon.org. 20 November 2020. 

Jordison, S, 2020. Bleak House's Locations-In Pictures. [online] The Guardian. 20 November 2020.