Bedford

Formed December 7, 1807 (29^th county)

Bedford County (50,239), Shelbyville (23,558)

The 1935 red/brown brick building replaced a similar 1873 structure in Shelbyville.  It is located on a square surrounded by Main, Depot, Spring, and Holland streets.  United States Highway 231 passes three blocks to the west of the courthouse.  Thomas Marr & Joseph Holman were the designers of this Classical Revival structure.  The courthouse features a dome with a working clock and columns.  Veterans’ memorials are on the grounds.  The courthouse was restored in 1993.  The county was formed from Rutherford County on December 7, 1807 as the 29^th county.  Pryor House was the first county seat until 1810 when Shelbyville assumed the role.  There were 1810, 1821, 1830, and 1873 courthouses previously.  Bedford County is named for Revolutionary War officer Thomas Bedford.  The county seat is named for Governor Isaac Shelby.  He is also the namesake for Shelby County.  Bedford County was the birthplace of 2 Tennessee Governors, W. Prentice Cooper, Jr., and Jim N. McCord. 

Bedford County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 18 Commissioners.  One Circuit Court Judge, One Chancery Court Judge, and One General Court Judge serve Bedford, Lincoln, Marshall, and Moore counties.  The county is in the southern part of the state.  Nashville, Tennessee is northwest and Chattanooga, Tennessee is southeast of the county.  The county center is in Shelbyville 2.6 miles Northeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Rutherford, Coffee, Moore, Lincoln, and Marshall counties. 

The area of the county is 474 square miles.  It is 44 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 33 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 106.0 persons per square mile making it 32 out of 95 in the state.  Bedford County has 49.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 41 Alternate passes northwest to southeast in the county from Rutherford County to Moore County.  United States Highway 231 goes north to south from Rutherford County to Lincoln County.  The county resembles the State of Ohio.  Shelbyville is located slightly south of center in the county.  Shelbyville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 46.9% of the county population.  This county is in the Shelbyville Micropolitan Statistical Area.

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