Named for its roof, the Slate Row was built to house the engineers who were constructing the grand home of William Johnston [the Johnston-Felton-Hay House]. It is considered to be among the earliest apartment buildings in Macon. Architecturally, they’re described in the nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places (1973) as “a simplified version of the Second Empire style apartment house that has been converted into a modern condominium building.” James B. Ayers, the contractor hired by Johnston, employed numerous enslaved artisans, according to research by Mercer Law student Nathan Corbitt. One of those artisans was Primus Moore, who worked on the construction of the Hay House. He was also responsible for all of the plaster work at Macon City Hall and was even paid by the city after Emancipation to continue the work.

National Register of Historic Places