Coweta County African American Heritage Museum

06/08/2026

A new historical marker in Moreland will recognize the lives of Denna Strickland and Estella Strickland (d.1932), members of a successful African-American farming family whose story reflects the broader history of racial violence, intimidation, and unprosecuted injustice during the Jim Crow era.

Join us this Saturday, June 13, at 2:00 p.m. at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church Cemetery for the dedication. The event is free and open to the public!

06/07/2026

June is African American Music Appreciation Month and today we are highlighting Major “Big Maceo” Merriweather. He was born in Newnan, Georgia in 1905, and was a self taught pianist that went on to become a Blues Hall of Fame Inductee. He was mainly active in Chicago through the 1940s. His first record was "Worried Life Blues" (1941), which became a blues hit and his signature piece. It became a staple of the blues repertoire, with artists such as Eric Clapton performing it regularly in concert. His style influenced practically every postwar blues pianist of significance. In 2002, he was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. For more information you can visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Maceo_Merriweather. #

06/06/2026

Just a reminder…
Next Saturday, June 13th…

Please join us for the dedication of a new Georgia historical marker about Denna Strickland and Estella Strickland (d.1932).

The dedication is public and will take place on Saturday, June 13, at 2:00 p.m., at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church Cemetery, off Cecil Hunter Road, Moreland, Georgia. Parking is available at the Cemetery. Overflow parking is available at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church (644 Bear Creek Rd, Moreland, GA 30259).

For more information visit https://www.georgiahistory.com/events/historical-marker-dedication-denna-strickland-and-estella-strickland-d-1932/

05/30/2026

“Estella Strickland, 25, a farmer and housekeeper, was killed in 1932 by police officer Baliff Sam Thompson in Coweta County, Georgia. Thompson went to the Strickland home accompanied by Theo McDonald, a neighbor, to arrest one of the family members. Thompson shot and killed Estella and her mother Denna and injured her brother Onelious, alleging that Denna attacked him with an ax while Oneta and her brother shot him and McDonald.”
Cited: The Civil Rights Restorative Justice Project
https://www.crrjarchive.org/incidents/178

05/30/2026

Please join us for the dedication of a new Georgia historical marker about Denna Strickland and Estella Strickland (d.1932).

The dedication is public and will take place on Saturday, June 13, at 2:00 p.m., at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church Cemetery, off Cecil Hunter Road, Moreland, Georgia. Parking is available at the Cemetery. Overflow parking is available at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church (644 Bear Creek Rd, Moreland, GA 30259).

For more information visit https://www.georgiahistory.com/events/historical-marker-dedication-denna-strickland-and-estella-strickland-d-1932/

05/18/2026

On Saturday, May 16th, a ceremony was held to unveil the historical marker for Dr. John Henry Jordan and the hospital he once established. As the first Black doctor in Coweta County, Dr. Jordan opened the first hospital for African Americans in what is now known as the Historic Chalk Level District, in the city of Newnan. After years of hard work, the site and Dr. Jordan were recognized by the Georgia Historical Society. An official marker is now in place with his story, for the world to see. Black history, forever marked. You can visit the site at 59 Pinson Street, Newnan Georgia, 30263. For more content, visit our website at www.ccaahm.org.

05/12/2026

Historical News!!

Before hospitals in Coweta County served African-American patients, one physician took it upon himself to change that.

In the late nineteenth century, Dr. John Henry Jordan (1870–1912) established a private hospital in Newnan, Georgia, expanding access to medical care for African Americans in Coweta County during segregation and leaving a lasting mark on his community.

GHS, in partnership with the Coweta County African American Heritage Museum, will commemorate Dr. Jordan’s legacy with the dedication of a new historical marker on Saturday, May 16, at 11:00 a.m., at the site of Dr. Jordan’s hospital, 59 Pinson Street in Newnan, Georgia.

Free and open to the public, we invite you to join us!

Find more information: https://www.georgiahistory.com/events/historical-marker-dedication-dr-john-henry-jordan-1870-1912/

04/25/2026

📢 Important Update from the Coweta County African American Heritage Museum

Effective April 26, 2026, the Coweta County African American Heritage Museum will transition to a virtual format until the completion of Phase 1 of the City of Newnan’s Farmer Street Cemetery project.

This temporary shift allows us to fully support and align with ongoing preservation efforts that are vital to protecting and honoring our shared history.

During this time, we will continue to engage our community through:
✨ Virtual programs
✨ Online exhibits
✨ Educational content and storytelling

We appreciate your continued support and look forward to welcoming you back in person soon. Thank you for standing with us as we help preserve this important legacy.

— Coweta County African American Heritage Museum

03/16/2026

Join the Newnan Coweta History Center on Thursday, March 19th at 6:00 pm for an exciting new oral history program, "Dial A Memory: Your Story-Our History."

The official unveiling of this project will be held at the Newnan Campus of UWG and will include a sneak peek at the Oral History Phone Booth and a chance to listen to a few of the collected stories.

Come and enjoy this free event, which includes an opening reception, lecture, and door prizes!

For more information please call The Newnan Coweta History Center at
770-251-0207
https://newnancowetahistory.com/

03/16/2026

Please come out to the Newnan History Center and tell your story!