Saturday, October 15, 2016 | The Newnan Times-Herald — 1C
Senoia, Ga. 1866 - 2016
Senoia founded by Methodist parson
By W. WINSTON SKINNER winston@newnan.com
Francis Warren Baggarly preached about a heavenly city built on a hill – and he built his own city, Senoia, which still flourishes today. Baggarly was born in 1818 in North Carolina; his family moved to Georgia’s Bibb County when he was a toddler. He married Julia Bowles from Meriwether County in 1845 and – in 1860 – bought what is now downtown Senoia. There were already families in the area. The Addy, Page, Shell, Leavell, Barnes, Falls, Moses and Young families had come from South Carolina starting 1828 and settled on farmland around what is now Senoia. It was Baggarly, however, who had the vision for Senoia and brought it into being. Tray Baggarly, the preacher’s greatgreat-grandson, still lives in Senoia. He related that there was a community called Willow Dell south of where Senoia is located today. F.W. Baggarly “bought the property where downtown is,” Tray Baggarly said. He was just in time to get settled before the Civil War broke out. F.W. B a g g a r l y bui lt t he stone building near the corner of Main Street and Baggarly Way. That building became a Confederate commissary, and the upper floor was where the first Methodist services were held in town – leading to the organization of what is now Senoia United Methodist Church. Tray Baggarly said few stor i e s a b o u t F.W. , his grandfather’s grandfather, have been passed down in his family. The Francis Warren Baggarly Rev. Baggarly died in 1880. A good bit of history about him has, however, been preserved. It is known that during the Civil War he set up a factory in his home, hiring local women to make hats and shoes for soldiers. It was after the war – in 1866 – that Senoia was chartered, and F.W. Baggarly began selling lots that led to the creation of a new town. He preached at the Methodist church, and a Baptist church was organized as the town was coming into being. Later there were a Presbyterian church, which is now a residence, and a small but elegant Lutheran meetinghouse that is now home to the Church of God of Prophecy. There are two stories about the origin of the town’s name. Some sources trace the name to a Creek Indian leader – described in a 1965 historical account as “a medicine man and philanthropist, noble, brave and generous, who lived near the present site of Sargent.” A story told more often is that the town was named for the Creek Indian mother of Chief William McIntosh, Senoya He-ne-ha – commonly referred to as “Princess Senoia.” Coweta County is named in McIntosh’s honor as chief of the Cowetas. Like all towns, Senoia has had its economic ups and downs, but generally the town has flourished. The 1870s and 1880s were boom times for Senoia. Harness and collar manufacturing, a ceramics firm, a cotton mill, a guano plant and a hotel were among the town’s businesses. Several newspapers came and went. One of them, The Senoia Enterprise, had as its editor and publisher Robert F. Jones, one of Baggarly’s successors in the pulpit at Senoia Methodist. For a time, there was a telegraphy school, and the early decades of the 20th century were time when Senoia was a central commercial area for the many farms in eastern Coweta County. Farmers and their families came to town to buy groceries, overalls, farm supplies – or even a car. In 1940, Southern Mills came to Senoia – creating jobs for many and an economic engine that kept the town progressing. Southern Mills is still in Senoia – now operating as Ten Cate. In recent years, the movie industry has discovered Senoia, and ties with fastpaced Peachtree City just down the road have also helped the town flourish. Francis Warren Baggarly’s dream continues as the city he envisioned launches a new chapter of its history.
PHOTO BY JAMES JOHNSON
Erik Mays, current pastor of Senoia United Methodist Church, rests his hand on the original pulpit used by Francis Warren Baggarly, first pastor of the church and founder of the town. Tradition says a John Mays built the pulpit in the 1860s. “I’m not sure if I’m any relation to him, but there’s a chance I am,” Erik Mays said.