Wilkinson

Formed January 1, 1802 (4^th county)

Wilkinson County (8,586), Woodville (927), Centreville (1,256)

The pleasant tan brick Classical Revival courthouse was built in 1903 on Main Street between Royal Oak and Boston streets.  United States Highway 61 is three blocks to the east of the site.  James Riely Gordon is the building architect.  The building has been enlarged.  The structure features a dome and rotunda with a veterans’ memorial on the grounds.  The county was founded on January 1, 1802 from Adams County as the 4^th county with Woodville as the only county seat.  It is named for Revolutionary War General James Wilkinson.  The county seat name is a geographical term for local woods. 

Wilkinson County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a collector, a coroner, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.)  Two Chancery Court Judges serve Wilkinson, Adams, Claiborne, and Jefferson counties, Two District Court Judges serve Wilkinson, Adams, Amite, and Franklin counties and a court clerk serve Wilkinson County (judicial.) Wilkinson County is in the southwest corner of the state on the border with Louisiana on both its western and southern borders.  Jackson, Mississippi is northeast and New Orleans, Louisiana is southeast of the county.  The county center is 5.2 miles North of Woodville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Adams, Franklin, and Amite counties and Louisiana. 

The area of the county is 677 square miles.  It is 24 out of 82 in the state.  It ranks 74 out of 82 in population in the state.  It has a density of 12.7 persons per square mile making it 79 out of 82 in the state.  Wilkinson County has 36.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 61 crosses the county from north to south from Adams County to Louisiana.  The county looks like a bowl of popcorn with a square eastern border.  Woodville is in the southern quarter of the county.  Centreville is on the eastern border of the county.  Woodville is the county seat and Centreville is the largest city.  Woodville is 10.8% of the county population while Centreville is 14.5% of the county population.