History & Museums

The African American Heritage Museum & Research Center provides a repository for African American artifacts and records while also serving as a genealogy workroom for African American research. Adjacent to the museum, which is housed in a restored shotgun-style house, is the Farmer Street Cemetery which may be the largest slave cemetery in the South. Extensive research by a commission (appointed by the mayor and city council of Newnan) has shown that this cemetery was a 19th- and 20th-century burial ground for African Americans in Coweta County.

Brown’s Mill Battlefield Historic Site opened in July 2013 and includes nearly 200 acres of walking trails, 6 miles of mountain bike trails, and interpretive signs that tell the story of the battle through personal accounts and military history.

Located in historic downtown Newnan, the Carnegie Library has brought back library-type services in the downtown area. The bottom floor of the building serves as a reading room, and the second floor includes meeting and program spaces. Among the Carnegie’s many offerings are popular magazines and newspapers, computer workstations and Wi-Fi access, an honor book system, a gallery for local exhibits, meeting rooms with warming kitchen, and programs for adults and children.

ChildrenConnect incorporates interactive exhibits that encourage children to engage with and learn through active play. Each of these exhibits represents a different aspect of living in our city.

Take a selfie break at the new exhibit featuring three distinctly styled vignettes designed to bring out your inner photographer: “The Sweet Life,” “Create/Logic” and “SodaPOP.” The museum is housed in the former building for the Male Academy Classroom, which was established in 1840.

This research library is home to a large inventory of historical and genealogical books and publications. It contains books and publications from most, if not all, of the 50 states. There are also a variety of surname books; family history compilations; family folders; historical newspapers, military books and index publications; and miscellaneous historical and reference books, magazines and pamphlets.

Grantville’s historic district began as small settlement in 1840 and was renamed in 1852. Visitors can see filming sites for The Walking Dead, visit the train depot, walk by Bonnie Castle (one of the most haunted sites in Georgia) or play at the splash park.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 1904 classic revival courthouse anchors Coweta’s town square. Its dome rises 100 feet above street level, and a four-face tower clock chimes the hour. The dome is covered with 13,500 pounds of copper to match the cornice, pediments and railings. The courthouse is also the site of the infamous “Murder in Coweta County” trial.

Originally a freight and passenger depot for the Atlanta and West Point Railroad in the 1850s, this train station gradually fell into disrepair in the 1950s, when passenger and freight service was discontinued. Today, with renewed interest in the structure and the community, the Depot is now a part of the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society and serves as an ideal venue for weddings, social events, meetings and exhibition space.

Home to the Newnan Coweta History Center, this neoclassical home was built in 1937 by Atlanta architect Kennon Perry for Ellis Hardeman Peniston and his wife, Mildred Willcoxon Arnall Peniston. The NCHC renovated the home to reflect the colors and styles of the 1930s and 1940s, as well as highlight some of the home’s original features. NCHS is dedicated to preserving and honoring the history of Newnan and Coweta County through exhibits at the McRitchie-Hollis Museum and the Newnan Historic Train Depot.