After Newnan was designated the county seat in 1828, a log cabin was built to house the court on what is now referred to as Court Square. In 1829, the inferior court voted to build a new, more permanent courthouse. That structure was built in 1829 by Captain W. H. Hitchcock. The brick, two-story building faced east, had a portico on the east side, and was fronted by four white Doric columns. It was surrounded by chinaberry and locust trees and wells were located on all four corners for horses. During the Civil War, it served as a hospital and, although it survived the war, its walls were penetrated numerous times on July 30, 1864 (the date of the battle at Brown's Mill), by shots from the 18th Indiana Artillery. By 1904, due to considerable repair work the building needed, officials of the era determined to replace it. The current, beautiful building, designed by James Golucke, son of a German immigrant, was constructed in 1904. It exemplifies neoclassical revival architecture and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. By 2009, this structure needed extensive renovation; so, with SPLOST assistance; the support of Coweta voters; and all county municipalities, adaptive-reuse began and was completed in the fall of 2010. Today, the Coweta County Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Coweta County Probate Court reside here. Interesting, fun comparisons: The 1904 construction cost was $75,000 and the 2010 renovation finished at $7.5 million!!!! ($7.5 million in 2010 was the equivalent of $306,114.03 purchasing power in 1904.)