Washington

Formed February 25, 1784 (10^th county)

Washington County (19,992), Sandersville (5,814)

The pleasant red brick courthouse was built in 1864 and remodeled and enlarged in 1899.  It is on Harris Street at Malone Street.  Georgia State Highway 15 is Harris Street in the city.  It was enlarged again in 1938 and renovated again 1973 and 1987.  Greene Brantley and J. W. Renfroe are the architects for this High Victorian and Second Empire style courthouse.  The building features a tower with an eagle on top.  The grounds have veteran memorials and a gazebo.  The county center is in Sandersville 2.8 miles Southeast of the city center. 

Washington 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 Washington, Baldwin, Ben Hill, Bleckley, Candler, Crisp, Dodge, Dooly, Emanuel, Greene, Hancock, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Laurens, Montgomery, Morgan, Pulaski, Putnam, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Twiggs, Wheeler, Wilcox, and Wilkinson counties and a State Judge and Six County Judges, court clerk, and county attorney serve Washington County (judicial.) The county is located in eastern Georgia northeast of Macon, Georgia and southwest of Augusta, Georgia.  The Ogeechee River is the eastern border and the Oconee is part of the western border of the county.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Glascock, Jefferson, Johnson, Wilkinson, Baldwin, and Hancock counties. 

The area of the county is 680 square miles.  It is 8 out of 159 counties in the state.  It ranks 89 out of 159 in population in the state.  It has a density of 29.4 persons per square mile making it 126 out of 159 in the state.  Washington County has 49.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  Washington County was created on February 25, 1784 from Creek lands as the 10^th county.  Warthen was the first county seat followed by Sandersville in 1796.  General George Washington prior to becoming President inspired the county’s name.  He is also the source name for the county seat of Wilkes County.  Settler M. Saunders is the namesake for the county seat.  The county’s shape is very non-descript but might be termed a pile of leaves.  Sandersville is slightly west of center in the county.  Sandersville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 29.1% of the county population.

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