25 Jefferson Street is home to Newnan’s Wadsworth Auditorium, a staple in Newnan’s historic downtown district. Created in 1938 by the architect R. Kennon Perry, the Wadsworth Auditorium boasts a 624 seat auditorium, with an art-deco-inspired architecture. Over the years, the Wadsworth Auditorium has served as Newnan’s City Clerk’s Office, Water and Light Commission, Newnan Police Department, Newnan City Jail, Selective Service Board, and the Chamber of Commerce. The auditorium currently hosts a plethora of events, including plays, graduations, concerts, recitals, and special ceremonies.
In 1988, the building was named “The Charles Wadsworth Auditorium,” named after the Newnan native Charles Wadsworth. Charles Wadsworth grew up in Newnan and became the director of the Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center in New York. Wadsworth was also the director and pianist for Chamber Music Concerts at Festival of Two Worlds in Spoletto, Italy for 18 years. Wadsworth was also invited to perform several times at the White House.
In 2008, the restoration project for the Wadsworth Auditorium was completed, and the auditorium continues to be a landmark in Newnan’s historic downtown district.
Photos show the Selective Service Board that used the building and what the building looked like in the 1940s.
Historical information and photos courtesy of City of Newnan and Newnan-Coweta History Center