MACON, Ga. — On Wednesday, a piece of Macon history was "shipped" across town to a new home.
A model of the USS Macon ship was moved from City Hall to the Macon Mall Wednesday morning, to sit outside the Armed Forces Recruitment Center.
The ship model has been in Macon since 1946. It has moved to several places around Macon in that time, and its last move was when it came to Macon City Hall in 2008.
Brian Potter, a Conservator with the Navy's Historic Ship Model Collection, said these models represent pieces of history and often have practical uses during their prime.
"So this is the USS Macon, this model was built as a drafting room model. It was a tool and aid for building the actual ship. So it's not exactly just an aesthetic model, it was a tool they used in the drafting room," he said.
Potter went on to say that the ship model collection has around 3,800 models currently, and they are on display all over the country.
He says they only really work with/touch models when they need moving or need repairs for conservation. Moving ship models are common though, and a lot of them move around every few years.
He explained how the models are made of wood and non-ferrous metals, and they don't use plastics because they want the models to last hundreds of years. The USS Macon has been in our town for over 75 years and was built to last the test of time.
Potter says the ship could be a powerful drafting tool sitting outside the recruitment center, but its also just a cool piece of history that everyone should see.
"These models are wonderful recruitment tools...people tend to gravitate toward them. So being here next to the center, I think that's a great location," he said.
If you want to see the USS Macon for yourself, you can stop by the Armed Forces Recruitment Center at 3661 Eisenhower Parkway in the Macon Mall.