McCarty Property Group    -   Vern E. McCarty, President

I was drawn to Macon in 1999 by its historic charm and European ambiance. Historic downtown Macon has more historic homes and buildings than any city in Georgia, except for Savannah. I saw the Happ Brothers Manufacturing Co. building in the summer of 1999 and fell in love with it. It took us almost two years to arrange the financing and build it out.There is something magical about this massive red brick structure, which reigned from 1936 to 1976 as the largest building in Macon. It is truly a landmark which long time Macon residents remember well.

Many people have come forward with stories about working at Happ Bros. when it was a sewing factory or when it made uniforms during World War ll.  The original product produced in great quantity dating from 1916 was Happ Bros. Over-alls!  Happ ceased active production in the late 1980’s.

During the decade of the 1990’s the Happ building just barely escaped the wrecking ball, occupying such a prominent and historic corner, Broadway at Pine!  Demolition companies were interested because of the more than one million bricks.   

One of the key players in saving Happ was the Honorable Jim Marshall, then lord mayor and now representing the Macon area in the U.S. Congress. Thank you Jim!