Newnan, Georgia

Newnan is a city in Metro Atlanta and the county seat of Coweta County, Georgia, about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Atlanta. The population was 33,039 at the 2010 census, up from 16,242 at the 2000 census, for a growth rate of 103.4% over that decade.

History

Newnan was established as county seat of Coweta County (replacing the defunct town of Bullsboro) in 1828 and was named for North Carolinian General Daniel Newnan. It quickly became a prosperous magnet for lawyers, doctors, other professionals, and merchants. Much of Newnan's prosperity was due to its thriving cotton industry, which relied on slavery.

Newnan was largely untouched by the Civil War due to its status as a hospital city (for Confederate troops), and as a result still features much antebellum architecture. Celebrated architect Kennon Perry designed many of the town's 20th century homes. During the Atlanta Campaign, Confederate cavalry defeated Union forces at the nearby Battle of Brown's Mill.

One of the first spectacle lynchings took place near Newnan on April 23, 1899. Sam Hose was tortured and put to death for allegedly murdering his employer, Alfred Cranford. The Springfield Weekly Republican described the scene: