Andrew Carnegie provided a grant of $10,000, on December 30, 1901, for the construction of a Carnegie Library in Newnan, Georgia at the request of a determined 17-year-old Newnanite, Charles L. Thompson, making it one of the first Carnegie Library grants in the state of Georgia. It is also, likely, the oldest surviving Carnegie Library building in the state. The cornerstone for the Library was laid on August 4, 1903 and was opened to the public in 1904, serving as a library until 1987 when a new facility was constructed on Hospital Road. With its iconic lighted sign that states the City of Homes on top of the building, citizens recognize the Carnegie when they drive through historic downtown. Newly restored by the City of Newnan, the Carnegie has brought back library services in the downtown area. The bottom floor of the building serves as a reading room and the second floor as a meeting space.

Among its many offerings, the Carnegie brings popular magazines and newspapers, computer workstations and Wi-Fi access, a gallery for local exhibits, meeting rooms with a warming kitchen, and programs for adults and children. To find out more about the grassroots group that worked tirelessly to bring the Carnegie back as a library please visit the Newnan Carnegie Library Foundation page.

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