Newnan Commercial Historic District

Newnan's downtown is a commercial district of about 25 acres built around a central courthouse square in the west-central Georgia town laid out in 1828. Its plan follows the "Washington-type" grid, with a square at the center and principal streets entering at the corners. Most buildings are one- and two-story attached brick structures from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many with corbeled cornices, pressed metal, terra cotta and cast iron. Landmarks include the 1904 Classical Revival courthouse designed by J. W. Golucke, the 1903 Carnegie Library, said to be the first built in Georgia, and the 1939 Municipal Building by R. Kennon Perry. Three historic churches, two early service stations, a cotton warehouse and a historically black commercial row on East Broad Street are also included. The area served as the main retail and service center for a corn, cotton and textile economy, and it keeps much of its historic character.