Appling

Formed December 15, 1818 (40^th county)

Appling County (18,440), Baxley (4,985)                

The domed Neo-Classical Revival style courthouse was built in 1908.  It sits on Parker Street between Tippins and Main streets.  Main Street is United States Highway 1.  The building is constructed of masonry and concrete.  H. L. Lewman is the structure’s designer.  The dome is currently black with a working clock and columns.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  The building was renovated in 2006 and an annex was added in 2005.  Appling County was organized on December 15, 1818 from Creek lands as the 40^th county.  Holmesville (1828) and Baxley (1873) have both been the county seat.  The county was named for War of 1812 soldier Daniel Appling.  He is also the source name for the county seat of Columbia County.  The county seat was named for settler William Baxley.  The county center is 8.7 miles Southeast of Baxley nearer Surrency. 

Appling County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, a coroner, a clerk, and a tax commissioner (executive).  It has 6 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twenty-one Superior Court Judges serve Appling, Bacon, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Coffee, Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Jeff Davis, Jenkins, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Ware, and Wayne counties and a State Court Judge and four County Judges, court clerk, and county attorney serve Appling County (judicial.) The county is situated in southeast Georgia.  The Altamaha River is the northern border and the Big Satilla River is the southwest border.  Savannah, Georgia is northeast of the county.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Toombs, Tattnall, Wayne, Pierce, Jeff Davis, and Bacon counties. 

The area of the county is 509 square miles.  It is 23 of 159 in the state.  It ranks 96 out of 159 in population in the state.  It has a density of 36.2 persons per square mile making it 115 out of 159 in the state.  Appling County has 29.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 1 crosses the county north to south from Toombs County to Bacon County.  United States Highway 341 goes east to west from Wayne County to Jeff Davis County.  The county shape is the number 9.  Baxley is located in the western half of the county.  Baxley is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 27.0% of the county population.