Habitat for Humanity was founded in Americus in 1976, and this is where the organization's international headquarters remains. The Global Village and Discovery Center, just outside the downtown core, tells the full story — from Clarence Jordan's Koinonia Farm experiment in the 1940s through Millard Fuller's development of the Habitat model, and on to the organization's work in dozens of countries.
The exhibit is more compelling than its nonprofit origins might suggest: there are full-scale replicas of houses from different countries showing what adequate shelter looks like around the world, and the historical displays are honest about both the successes and the complex politics of international housing work. Former President Jimmy Carter, who grew up in Plains just 15 miles west of Americus, has been closely associated with Habitat for decades — his annual Carter Work Project builds are among the organization's most visible events.