MACON, Ga. — His impact on music was undeniable, but Little Richard is also known for putting Macon on the map.
The music legend passed away Saturday in Nashville.
Community leaders thanked him by keeping a piece of him, the house where he grew up, intact.
If you ask people in the Pleasant Hill neighborhood, this was his home.
"This is the music capital of the South as far as I'm concerned, and it started right within a mile of Pleasant Hill," said Georgia state representative James Beverly back in 2018.
It's an area that has seen a lot of change in the last decade.
"We wanted to just make sure that the Little Richard house was preserved and working with the Department of Transportation and the folks in that community, we were able to make it happen," said Macon-Bibb Mayor Pro Tem Al Tillman.
In 2017, Penniman's childhood home was physically moved from Fifth Avenue to Craft Street because of the state's interstate expansion project. It was soon renovated by the Community Enhancement Authority.
Macon-Bibb Commissioner Elaine Lucas and Tillman say the fight to preserve it took years, but it was worth it.
"We had already lost so many historical facilities and monuments and different kinds of things, and we did not want to lose anymore," said Lucas.
Tillman said, "It was a priority that we keep that house and his legacy intact."
It all came to an end in March 2019 when the home officially opened its doors to the public as the Little Richard House Resource Center.
"It's important that you say thank you and give a salute to people that have put your city on the map," Lucas said.
Macon leaders say although Little Richard is gone, there are still bits and pieces of him left across the entire city.
Tillman and Lucas say for now, there are no plans for a big celebration because of COVID-19, but it will be discussed this week in the commission meeting.
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