Although Macon served as the arsenal of the confederacy during the Civil War, there was very little damage to the city and visitors are always delighted to see the number of antebellum homes still standing. Nearby Milledgeville was the state capital at the time, but Sherman’s soldiers bypassed Macon. Fort Oglethorpe served as a camp for captured Union officers and soldiers, but was evacuated in 1864. Additionally, the Confederate States Central Laboratory was located near the intersection of present-day Vineville Avenue and Vista Circle, and is noted with a historical marker.
