Carla Cook Smith

Senoia Carla Cook Smith

In 1828, a large group of South Carolina natives migrated to the eastern part of Coweta County, Georgia, following the land lottery of 1827. By 1860, Rev. Francis Warren Baggarly had purchased the Willow Dell settlement and renamed it Senoia. The Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic and the Central of Georgia rail lines provided four passenger trains for the city near the turn of the 20th century and are credited for Senoia's boom in commerce, which created the need for a hotel in 1906. By 1989, Georgia was ranked third behind New York and Los Angeles in movie production. Riverwood Studios was merely a concept when Paul Lombardi learned about the 120 acres for sale in Senoia that he would later purchase for a studio. Thirty-five miles from the Atlanta airport, Senoia has served as an excellent location for filming, and the city has over 25 film productions to its credit, including Fried Green Tomatoes and The Walking Dead.