Made by History: Coweta celebrates Black History Month

February 5, 2025

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“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

By KATIE ANDERSON, Special to The Paper

Black History Month began as Black History Week in February of 1926. The month of February was chosen because two important historic figures have birthdays in February: Abraham Lincoln, who signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863; and Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, orator, and slave who escaped to freedom. Fifty years later in 1976, the week grew to a month, with President Gerald Ford proclaiming it a national celebration.

Fast forward to the present day – our local keepers of Black history can be found at 92 Farmer Street at the Coweta County African American Heritage Museum. Located in a restored shotgun-style house (once a slave cabin), the museum is operated by the African American Alliance. Their mission is to protect, preserve, and present the cultural, historical, and architectural African American heritage of Coweta County.

Adjacent to the museum, you’ll find a slave cemetery. In 1999, Bobby Olmstead was instrumental in halting a construction project starting up in the cemetery. He had grown up in the area and knew of its historical significance. In 2000, Olmstead formed the Farmer Street Cemetery Commission. Soon after in 2002, Cynthia Rosers founded the museum, partnering with the Newnan Coweta History Center.

The Coweta County African American Heritage Museum is also a center for genealogical research, specifically focused on African American ancestry. Their varied exhibits are a tribute to the contributions of Coweta’s Black community. The African American Alliance invites the public to visit in person, online, or volunteer.

Coweta County Historic Highlights

Hamilton Bohannon

Displaying talent on the drums at a young age, Newnan-born Bohannon attended HBCU Clark Atlanta University on a music scholarship. He crossed professional paths with Jimi Hendrix, toured with Stevie Wonder, and was band leader at Motown Records, playing with Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, and the Four Tops, among others.

Newnan Chapel UMC, 72 Robinson Street, Newnan

The oldest Black church in Coweta County, Newnan Chapel UMC celebrated 180 years of ministry in October 2020. A plot of land was drawn up in April 1840 to build it, and one dollar was given to purchase the property. The men made bricks from the water from the creek at night to build the structure.

Jordan Home and Black Hospital, 61 Pinson Street, Newnan

The former home of Dr. John Henry Jordan (1870-1912) became the first Black hospital in the county. Dr. Millard McWhorter became the second Black doctor in the county and served at this address. The second Black hospital in the county is where the Avalon Health and Rehabilitation Center is currently located.

Howard Warner Community Center

Howard Warner Community Center, 55 Savannah Street, Newnan

This facility served as Newnan’s Black high school. The school’s namesake was Professor Howard Wallace Warner, who lived a life dedicated to children’s education. The building was constructed in 1935 and restored by the city of Newnan.

McClelland Academy, Richard Allen Drive, Newnan

These steps, across from the Lynch Park Pool, are what remain of McClelland Academy, the first private school for African Americans in Coweta County. The school was established by the Presbyterian Church, operated between 1889 – 1936, and had three buildings. The principal was Rev. Benjamin Louie Glenn.

Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, 5 Pinson Street, Newnan

Mount Vernon Baptist Church was founded in 1863 under a brush arbor on Robinson Street. Martin Luther King’s brother, Alfred, was the church’s pastor for a time.