Date: December 6th 2024
Time: 4PM EST - 9PM EST
Newnan, the City of Homes, evokes images of antebellum houses, lovingly restored to their original splendor. The Christmas Tour of Homes is an opportunity for everyone to see them, all decked out in their holiday best.
Tickets purchased online can be picked up at Will Call at NPS starting at 3:30PM on December 6. Hard copies of the brochure/ticket will be available for purchase at Gillyweeds and the McRitchie-Hollis Museum the beginning of November.
There will be a live nativity on the front steps of the church from 6:00PM- 8:00PM the evening of the tour. Refreshments of charcuterie, wine and soft drinks in the fellowship hall, and complimentary shuttles running all evening.
The purchase of a ticket for the Christmas Tour of Homes includes a ticket to the Historic Church Tour on December 7
Nestled on a tranquil half-acre lot, 11 Reese Street is a charming cottage with timeless appeal. Built in 1939, the house was originally divided into two separate units, with the downstairs serving as the primary living area and the upstairs functioning as a one bedroom rental unit. Eventually, it was transformed into a one-and-a-half story single-family residence with three bedrooms and two full bathrooms in the 1970’s. It has been loved by many homeowners and renters alike as it was rented for more than a decade through the 80’s and 90’s. In 1998, Chad and Blake Smith bought 11 Reese Street for their very first home. While the house needed some TLC, the mature trees, spacious yard and short walk to downtown made it the ideal house for them. Over the next 15 years, the Smiths lovingly updated their home, creating four bedrooms and two bathrooms and modernizing nearly every aspect except for the original asbestos siding and plaster walls. In 2021, a tornado swept through Newnan, and a large oak landed directly on the house, causing catastrophic damage. The family was displaced for 15 months as the house underwent a complete renovation; only the foundation and original studs remained. When the house was rebuilt, the Smiths made thoughtful changes, including a master bedroom and en-suite bath on the main floor, a breakfast area off the kitchen overlooking the backyard, and a covered porch. Now, three years later, the Smiths are settled into their beautifully reimagined home, enjoying the blend of modern comforts with the heart and soul of its original cottage design.
Green Manor: A Home of Heart and History A house is built with bricks and mortar, but a home is where your heart feels safe. Despite losing over fifty trees, The Green Manor sustained only minor structural damage during the tornado that swept through Newnan in the spring of 2021. This year’s Christmas Tour celebrates our community’s recovery, resilience, and renewal. The Craftsman Cottage at 139 Greenville Street has been a witness to more than a century of life and change. Built in 1916 by Bank President Harvey North, the home was originally heated by six coal fireplaces, and its small kitchen and butler’s pantry that was once accessed through a back porch. The home sits on a charming one-acre lot, adjacent to fifteen acres of land belonging to Atkinson Elementary School. Over the years, The Green Manor has been home to a banker, a doctor, a beauty queen, a lawyer, an architect, and a pilot. Each family has left their mark, reshaping the house to suit their lives. Dr. Hammond, the second owner, added a three-car garage and transformed a bedroom into a home office for weekend visits with patients. In 1977, architect Dale Wilkin vaulted the main living room ceiling into the attic, adding extra bedrooms and architectural interest. In 2017, the Palmers breathed new life into the home by expanding the kitchen and remodeling bathrooms while carefully preserving its historic charm. Today, Loi Palmer is honored to welcome guests for sourdough and gardening classes along with weekend stays. As the steward of this beloved historic home, she invites you to linger, explore, and share in its enduring story.
The two-story Fisher-Farmer house was built in the early 1900’s. Designed in the Edwardian style, it features a wrap-around porch, grand foyer, pocket doors, and 7 fireplaces. Every room of the house is decked in fresh greenery and classical touches that will make you feel as though you’re walking into the Christmas of yesteryear. This is the Enderlin children's favorite holiday, and they love helping decorate the numerous Christmas trees located throughout the house. Since the home was last on tour several years ago, decor changes have been made in every room. Most notably, the entire property has been outfitted with new electrical wiring, allowing for the installation of chandeliers. The original woodwork on the staircase, built-ins, and majority of fireplaces, however, remains permanently unaltered. Thanks to the gracious Fisher-Farmer family, a great deal of information has recently been learned about the house’s past. The home’s fascinating history will be on display and include excerpts from letters written home by one of the original family members who served as a soldier during WWII. In them, he reminisces over Christmases long ago and his hopes for Christmases to come.
Theresa and Quentin Skinner’s Tudor-style home, built in 1942 at 12 Buchanan St., is a testament to architectural elegance and restoration. Nestled in Historic Downtown Newnan, it was designed by Leila Ross Wilburn, a pioneer in Georgia’s residential architecture. After purchasing the home in 2017, the couple spent two years restoring it, uncovering its unique history.
Theresa’s passion for interior design led to thoughtful enhancements, including elegant picture molding in the dining room. The original bathrooms remain intact, while the sunroom—once an outdoor space—was transformed into a cozy conversation room with painted brick and wood flooring. The kitchen, remodeled by a previous owner, remains pristine, featuring a charming wall-mounted ironing board still in use. A mudroom locker system was added, and the former pantry became a butler’s pantry with a countertop made from an oak lost in a tornado. Their attic storage space was converted into a media room with built-in cubby beds and hidden doors.
In March 2021, a tornado swept through Newnan, destroying five century-old oak trees and damaging their home. The disaster led to a complete reimagining of their outdoor space, resulting in a landscaped backyard with a two-car garage and a shaded patio with a fireplace. A salvaged column from their original garage now supports their iron gate—a symbol of resilience.
Through their dedication, Theresa and Quentin have transformed their home twice over, creating a warm, inviting sanctuary that reflects their journey and love for its history.
This 1907 Craftsman home on Buchanan St, located in the Historic Lagrange-Greenville District, was bought by Terrence & Dera White in 2016. While the details of who originally built the home are unknown, the historical relics of the house are like clues pointing to a bygone era: 13’ ceilings, coal burning fireplaces, plaster walls, heart pine floors, a clawfoot tub, a milk & ice delivery door, and the RD Cole Manufacturing logo on various steel and wood surfaces throughout. Like several houses on LaGrange and Buchanan Streets, 6 Buchanan sits on land once belonging to the Buena Vista estate, backyards of all these historic homes intersecting like spokes of a wheel. Before the tornado that damaged so many properties in Newnan, the mature landscaping which once provided shade and privacy was then replaced with open views and vistas onto the unique landscape of that part of Newnan (not to mention the White’s new outlook on their community). At the farthest corner of the backyard stands the sole surviving tree, a large magnolia that once was hidden among old oaks and shrubbery, now the beloved spot for neighborhood kids to play, the backdrop to a family wedding in 2022, the highest elevation in Newnan (giving a nice view of the courthouse), and steps away from the spot where the old water tower used to stand. If you squint you can practically imagine what the original landscape of old Newnan used to be, like the staggered houses along the hills of an Americana painting.
The Simms-Adkins house was built circa 1870. Captain John Dickerson Simms and his wife, Louisa, were the first owners who lived here with their three children: Ella, Fannie, and John. Captain John Simms was elected as justice of the peace for his district prior to the Civil War. He served as Captain of the Sixteenth Georgia Battalion of Cavalry. After the war, he returned to Coweta County, built the home on LaGrange Street, and was elected to the legislature in 1877. He donated land and resources for the establishment of schools for the neighborhood. At the age of 90, John D. Simms passed away and laid to rest in Oak Hill Cemetery. In the 1990’s this home was converted into Southern Comfort Bed and Breakfast before once again becoming a family home in early 2000’s. Our family purchased this house in October of 2017 after falling in love with its charm and character. This Greek Revival with its four Corinthian columns and an upper and lower porch draws you to its beauty on the outside. You are welcomed inside with the original heart pine floors, beautiful stained-glass windows along with several sets of pocket doors, a grand staircase, 12ft ceilings, 9 fireplaces, and a large open kitchen. On March 26, 2021, this home was forever changed after being destroyed by an EF4 tornado that toppled the original columns, ripped off the roof, and caused the three original chimneys to collapse. This began an over 2-year journey of rebuilding, remodeling, and restoring this house to its former glory. Thankfully the original floors were able to be saved and refinished along with all the woodwork on the main staircase. New reclaimed heart pine flooring was added in the kitchen to match the charm and beauty of the original floors. As the restoration continued, we discovered a hidden pocket door, 150-year-old brick hidden behind the walls, remnants of original wallpaper, a postcard addressed to the granddaughter of John Simms, and impressions of fingerprints in bricks from the chimneys. While much of the original brick was not salvageable, the bricks that were saved were incorporated into the landscape patio. We are happy to be on the 2024 tour of homes. We pray that you cherish your time here, allowing us to share our story with the community that provided so much love and support as we recovered from the tornado.
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Tour updates will be announced on the Newnan Presbyterian School Facebook Page. Like our page and select "get notifications" to stay up-to-date on all of the news from Newnan Presbyterian School and the Newnan Christmas Tour of Homes.
This event is a fundraiser for Newnan Presbyterian school, and a "rain-or-shine event." No refunds will be issued for tour tickets.
This year's tour features the neighborhoods of Greenville-LaGrange Street.
Newnan Presbyterian School is excited to announce our 9th year of hosting the tradition of the Newnan Christmas Tour of Homes. In addition to supporting Newnan Presbyterian School, this year's tour proceeds will benefit Newnan-Coweta History Center.
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