Plans were laid for the convention in the fall of 1851 at the home of composer Oliver Bradfield, north of Newnan, Georgia. It was organized in 1852 in western Georgia at Macedonia Baptist Church in Coweta County. The impetus for the Chattahoochee Musical Convention was the success of the original "Sacred Harp" hymnbook and the Southern Musical Convention that was then affiliated with it. With the northward geographic spread of Sacred Harp singing into the Coweta County region, it was felt that the time had come for the residents of this area to have their own convention. The early sessions were attended by Sacred Harp founder B. F. White and other leading Sacred Harp figures of the day.