The Senoia Area Historical Center Board of Directors, museum staff and volunteers will welcome their counterparts from the Newnan-Coweta History Center on Thursday, August 15 at the SAHS museum located in the Historical District of Senoia.
Sharing her Senoia expertise and presenting “The History of Senoia” will be local Senoia historian Bonnie Bobbitt.
Bonnie recalls first falling in love with Senoia when she and a friend took a driving tour of Senoia in the mid-1980s. “I absolutely fell in love with the town, its people, and its homes,” she said.
Over the next few years, Bonnie became involved in bicycle riding and safety advocacy. At that time, Georgia Bikes!, the statewide bicycling advocacy organization, created a pocket guide, the Georgia Bicycle Law Enforcement Pocket Guide, for distribution to law enforcement officers throughout the state. Some officers weren’t clear on the rights and responsibilities of cyclists.
The guide, which would fit in the officer’s pocket, was meant to clarify points of law if an officer were responding to an accident involving a bicycle.
The pocket guide sparked a memory for Bonnie. She recalled the brochure that she and her friend used for the Senoia driving tour, and she realized that it would easily translate into a bicycle tour of Senoia. “So, I made it happen,” she said.
Bonnie hosted her first bicycle tour of historic Senoia on May 7, 2005 under the auspices of Fayette Biking for Life. All of the proceeds from the tour benefitted Georgia Bikes!
The tour started at Seavy Street Park where Bonnie read a brief history of Senoia, and then commenced with a biking tour to approximately 24 homes in the National Historic District, churches, and filming locations.
“I encouraged the riders to browse through the Hutchinson Hardware Store and enjoy the Senoia Coffee and Cafe afterward,” she said.
A second tour took place on May 6, 2006, and the final guided tour, on May 12, 2007. Bonnie then created a self-guided tour that riders could access from Georgia Bikes!, with an encouraged donation to support the law enforcement Pocket Guide.
In 2010, local photographer Gary Gruby was photographing “the town,” and Bonnie and her daughter Melanie rode their bikes from Fayetteville to Senoia to be in one of the photos. Afterward, the two stopped by the Senoia Coffee and Cafe for refreshments where they ran into an old friend, Senoia resident, Cindy Divido.
“At the time, Cindy was active with the Senoia Area Historical Society. I told her about the bicycle tour, and Cindy suggested that I put on the tour for the Historical Society. So I did.” recalls Bobbitt.
For six years Bonnie led organized bike rides throughout Senoia that benefitted SAHS. Initially, the ride was held in conjunction with a motorcycle ride. All of the rides highlighted the beauty and history of Senoia and the surrounding area. Bonnie credits the success of the tours to the fascinating stories and lovely structures that make up the special city of Senoia. She notes that the people are still warm and welcoming and that they proudly share their love for all things Senoia.
The Senoia Area Historical Society is dedicated to collecting and sharing Senoia’s history, and as part of that mission, they will be hosting visitors from the Newnan-Coweta History Center on Thursday, August 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Senoia Museum located in the historic Carmichael House at 6 Couch Street in the National Historical District of Senoia.
The public is welcome to attend a free PowerPoint presentation by Bonnie on the history of Senoia. The museum will be open for touring, and docents will be on hand for free tours of the museum. Light refreshments will also be served.
The museum consists of five display rooms and a research library. The exhibits in the museum span from Creek Indian Chief William McIntosh’s story in the 1800s to the movie and television industry display featuring The Walking Dead TV series that famously filmed in Senoia for over 10 years.
The SAHS Museum is open Fridays and Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. For more information about the museum or to become a member of SAHS,visit the website at www.SenoiaHistory.com. — Provided by Susan Stitt
