Greene

Formed February 3, 1786 (11^th county)

Greene County (18,907), Greensboro (3,638)

The 1848 red brick courthouse is Greek Revival style that was remodeled in 1938.  The county was organized on February 3, 1786 from Washington County as the 11^th county with Greensboro as the only county seat.  The courthouse is on Main Street between Greene and Court streets.  United States Highway 278 is Main Street.  David Demarest and Atharates Atkinson are the architects.  A modern enlargement was added in recent years.  The facility features columns and veteran memorials are on the grounds.  The county and the county seat are named after Revolutionary War General Nathanael Green.  He is also the source name for Meriwether County’s seat.  The county center is 5 miles South of Greensboro nearer Veazey. 

The area of the county is 388 square miles.  It is 62 out of 159 in the state.  It ranks 93 out of 159 in population in the state.  It has a density of 48.7 persons per square mile making it 94 out of 159 in the state.  Greene County has 31.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 20 crosses the county east to west from Taliaferro County to Morgan County.  United States Highway 278 parallels Interstate Highway 20 from Taliaferro County to Morgan County.  The county is shaped like a fat rocket flying northeast.  The Oconee River forms the county’s western border.  Greensboro is slightly northwest of the county center.  Greensboro is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 19.2% of the county population. 

Greene County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, a coroner, a clerk, and a tax commissioner (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Fifteen Superior Court Judges serve Greene, Bleckley, Baldwin, Ben Hill, Candler, Crisp, Dodge, Dooly, Emanuel, Hancock, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Laurens, Montgomery, Morgan, Pulaski, Putnam, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Twiggs, Washington, Wheeler, Wilcox, and Wilkinson counties and Six County Judges, court clerk, and county attorney serve Greene County (judicial.) Greene County is in eastern Georgia southeast of Athens and between Atlanta and Augusta.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Oglethorpe, Taliaferro, Hancock, Putnam, Morgan, and Oconee counties.