Senoia, Georgia

RICH HISTORY

From Cotton Fields to Hollywood Sets

Coweta County, pronounced 'Cow-eeta' or 'Ky-eeta' and meaning 'water falls,' was formed in Georgia on June 9, 1825. This occurred after Chief William McIntosh signed the Treaty of Indian Springs, an act for which he was soon killed by his fellow Creek Indians. Settlers migrated to the area following the Fifth Land Lottery of 1827. The founding date for Senoia is recognized as 1860, the year Rev. Francis Warren Baggarly purchased the land where the modern town now stands.

On October 9, 1864, as many residents of Willow Dell had relocated closer to the two railroads in the area, the community was renamed Senoia, and a post office was reestablished. The first building erected, known as the Rock House, was initially intended for mercantile purposes but quickly became a commissary for the Confederacy as the Civil War began. A high school opened in 1865, a remarkable achievement for a rural southern town at the end of the Civil War.

Following the war, Senoia saw the completion of the Savannah, Griffin and North Alabama Railroad, which traversed through the town. Agricultural products like cotton and peaches were efficiently shipped by rail from Senoia. The city was officially incorporated on December 12, 1866. Today, with its impressive collection of architectural treasures, most of the town is recognized as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. Senoia was officially chartered as a city around 1905, coinciding with the expansion of the railways. The city proudly showcases architecture from all these periods, including structures dating back to the 1840s, with the charming downtown area predominantly featuring turn-of-the-century designs.