34 South Court Square currently holds office spaces in its building, but its history is rich and varied. Originally built in 1883, this building was coined as the “Reese Opera House.” The Reese Opera House was used for a multitude of things: exhibits, commencements, plays, and comedy shows. However, although named Reese Opera House, an opera was never performed at this building. In 1885, the space was repurposed into a grocery store that started its business here and continued till 1906, when a dry goods store and the Southern School of Telegraphy used the building. Parents were enthusiastic about sending their student-aged children to Newnan to the Southern School of Telegraphy because Coweta was a dry county. In 1936, Watt’s cafe & Wrights Ice Cream Parlor moved in. From 1976 to 2014, the First Branch of Bank of Coweta was housed in this building before it became Southcrest Bank’s Mortgage Division. Today. 34 S Court Square holds Kelly O. Henderson, Attorney at Law, LLC and The Camp Firm LLC.
36 South Court Square has been home to a diverse array of businesses throughout the years. The first documented business in the space was in 1885, with a grocery store and office space being the tenants of the building. By 1889, the grocery store continued to operate in the building with an addition of a billiards hall, clothing store, and cigar store. In 1895, a restaurant and jewelry store replaced the clothing and grocery store. The turn of the century saw the return of a billiards hall and the addition of a barber shop in 1900. From 1906 to 1911, a millinery, or women’s hats store, moved into the building. From 1936 to 1972,[1] Alexander’s Barber Shop used the space until the building became home to Bank of Coweta. Today, 36 S Court Square holds Integrated Science & Engineering, Law Office of Michael West, and Lifted Holdings.
Historical information courtesy of Newnan-Coweta History Center.