Talk of the Town - Renewing the past April 17 2002

Imagine a rural setting with a newly renovated city square, small shops and friendly neighbors who wave hello, regardless of whether they know you. Sound a bit like “Little House on the Prairie”? Well, it’s a way of life for residents of Newnan.

Located 35 minutes from downtown Atlanta, Newnan is developing into a haven for Atlanta residents who want to leave the city’s hustle for a more peaceful life.

“We are one of the 13 metro Atlanta counties and yet, there is still a small-town atmosphere here,” says Angela White, lifetime Newnan resident and director of Coweta County’s Convention and Business Bureau.

White cannot help but brag about her ‘hood. With houses selling on average from $100,000 to $200,000, and residential developments springing up everywhere, Newnan is certainly not what it used to be. Even historic Newnan Square experienced a transformation which resulted in wider sidewalks lined with brick pavement and new black iron street lights.

“[Newnan] used to have tremendous farming and large cotton farms. Now, we are a bedroom community for Atlanta, but we are working hard to develop industrial clientele. I want to see a community where my children can go to college and return home to Newnan and find quality jobs and families,” says White.

Like White, Tom Croker wants to see things change yet, at the same time, preserve the charm and relaxed way of life that makes the town so appealing.

“Newnan was a quiet place when we moved here and the population was probably under 50,000, now we are at 100,000 but it still has a nice, small-town atmosphere,” says Croker, who has lived in Newnan since 1977.

This week the city will celebrate the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society’s Tour of Homes, which features 11 historic sites throughout downtown Newnan and LaGrange.

For White, the tour of homes is more than a historic afternoon; it’s also a lesson in identity.

“There are a lot of stories that come out of these homes and these cities reflect what we are and if we don’t remember them, then we have lost who we are,” says White.

Many may think Newnan is in the boonies. Whatever the perception, the city wants to remain a legacy for its children while continuing to grow and prosper.??