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RESTORATIONS OF THE HAY HOUSE period rooms are ongoing. This year, we celebrate the life and legacy of Mary Ellen Johnston Felton, whose bedroom on the third level has been masterfully restored by the Hay House Restorations Committee. Mary Ellen, the daughter of William B. and Anne Johnston, was, following her mother's death, the second lady of the house. She was an elegant socialite whose legacy of style and sophistication continues at the Palace of the South. Born in 1864, Mary Ellen grew up in Macon and lived most of her adolescent and adult life inside the Johnston house. She attended Wesleyan College where she joined the Philomathean (Phi Mu) Sorority. In 1881, she enrolled in Miss Cary's finishing school in Baltimore, Maryland. Established in 1842 and referred to as the Southern Home School for Girls, the institution prepared young ladies to enter society by teaching them social graces, etiquette and cultural rites of the upper-class. When Mary Ellen returned from finishing school in the early 1880s, she eagerly entered the "social season," a time for social elites to host balls, dinner parties and other social or charitable events. Mary Ellen was truly the belle of these balls as described in an 1884 letter from her Aunt Hattie: "All the young folks went to the ball last night. I saw Mary Ellen's costume and it was beautiful. Her character was Iolanthe. Her dress was white cashmere. The sleeves were very wide and fell back from her arms and left them bare. There was a gold fringe on the bottom of the skirt and some on the sleeves, and she had two big goose rings in the back. Her hair was done that night, and she wore a big star with make-like diamonds in it right back to her bangs. She also carried a gold wand in her hand and had golden slippers on her feet." Even when on yearly trips with family to elite vacation spots including Saratoga Springs, New York, and White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, she routinely involved herself in social activities and courting various gentlemen. Mary Ellen's mother, Anne, wrote in a letter from White Sulfur Springs: "Mary Ellen has been walking with Dr. Bozeman and a Judge Wylie from Mississippi since breakfast. The Judge is about 55, very rich, a former judge of the Superior Court, he is going to take her to drive this pm. The girls all think he is a great bore." In 1888, Mary Ellen married Judge William Hamilton Felton, the Solicitor General of Bibb County and the youngest Superior Court Justice in state history. In addition, he was a professor of law at Mercer University, and a member of various civic and social clubs. He was a distinguished gentleman and a good match for Mary Ellen. The couple loved to entertain and were known to host lavish balls and card parties. As recorded by "Georgia's Public Men, 1902-04": "Judge Felton, being a man of fine physique and powerful frame, keeps himself in good kelter by hunting and fishing and outdoor exercise. He is by no means averse to the pleasures of the ballroom and appears with equal grace whether leading the German (cotillion) or presiding at the festal board. ... Mrs. Felton, too, is a most charming hostess and ably assists the judge in the sumptuous and elegant entertainments for which they have become famous." In 1901, Mary Ellen retained ownership of the Johnston house after the death of her mother in 1896. When Judge Felton resigned from the bench in 1912, the couple made many renovations to the house including the addition of electricity and alterations to the Drawing Room, Dining Room, bedrooms, bathrooms and the addition of a wing with a butler's pantry to the southeast side of the building. The Feltons did not alter the Johnston residence, but rather updated it for a modern era in a style reflective of Mary Ellen's taste and sophistication. By doing so, they continued the Johnston legacy of lavish style and entertainment at one of the most handsome residences in the state. Current restoration efforts are focused on the life and legacy of Mary Ellen and the changes she made to the Johnston house. Specifically, her bedroom on the third floor has been fully restored to its 1912 appearance interpreting her life and social graces. — WILLIAM AULTMAN, DIRECTOR OF COLLECTIONS AND PROGRAMS FOR THE HAY HOUSE MUSEUM HAY LORE Mary Ellen Felton transformed Hay House for modern era An ongoing series about Hay House lore, traditions and history 30 maconmagazine.com | APRIL/MAY 2021