Greene

Formed February 9, 1796 (24^th county)

Greene County (35,946), Waynesburg (4,003)                

The Greek Revival 1852 red brick courthouse was added onto in 1888.  The facility is on the square at High and Washington streets.  United States Highway 19 passes in front of the courthouse.  Samuel Bryan and John Bryan provided the designs.  The building was enlarged in 1988.  Greene County was founded on February 9, 1796 and a courthouse was built that year in Waynesburg, the only county seat.  The county is taken from Washington County as the 24^th county.  It is named for American Revolutionary General Nathanael Greene.  He is also the source of the name of the county seat of Westmoreland County.  The county seat is named for American Revolutionary General Anthony Wayne.  He is also the namesake of Wayne County. 

Greene County government consists of a treasurer, a sheriff, an attorney, a coroner, and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Three Common Pleas Court Judges and Three Magistrate Court Judges serve Greene County (judicial.)  Greene County is in the southwest corner of Pennsylvania.  West Virginia is on its west and south borders.  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is northeast and Morgantown, West Virginia is southeast of the county.  The Monongahela River forms its eastern border.  The county center is 3.4 miles Southwest of Waynesburg.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Washington and Fayette counties and West Virginia. 

The area of the county is 578 square miles.  It is 39 out of 67 in the state.  It ranks 58 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 62.2 persons per square mile making it 51 out of 67 in the state.  Greene County has 15.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 79 travels through the county from north to south from Washington County to West Virginia.  United States Highway 19 parallels Interstate Highway 79 from Washington County to West Virginia.  Greene County is an overall rectangular shape.  Waynesburg is located in the northeast quarter of the county.  Waynesburg is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 11.1% of the county population.