Formed December 14, 1821 (70th county)
Lawrence County (16,293), Louisa (2,681)
The Modern glass and concrete building was constructed in 1961 at Main and Main Cross streets. Kentucky State Highway 3 is one block to the southeast. The courthouse designer is James E. Moore. Veteran memorials are on the grounds. There was an 1870 version of the courthouse in Louisa, the only county seat. A Judicial Center was added in 2013. Lawrence County was founded on December 14, 1821 and named for Captain James Lawrence hero from the War of 1812. The county was taken from parts of Greenup and Floyd counties as the 70th county. The county seat is named for Louisa County, Virginia. Lawrence County was the birthplace of 1 Kentucky Governor, Paul E. Patton.
Lawrence County government consists of a sheriff, County Judge Executive, and 4 Magistrates. Two Circuit Court Judges, Two District Court Judges, and One Family Court Judge serve Lawrence, Johnson, and Martin counties. The county is on the eastern border of the state. West Virginia is directly east. The county center is 12.9 miles West-Southwest of Louisa nearer Adams. The county is surrounded clockwise by Boyd County and West Virginia and Martin, Johnson, Morgan, Elliott, and Carter counties.
The area of the county is 419 square miles. It is 29 out of 120 in the state. It ranks 69 out of 120 in population in the state. It has a density of 38.9 persons per square mile making it 88 out of 120 in the state. Lawrence County has 16.9% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 23 crosses the county north to south from Boyd County to Johnson County. The county’s shape resembles the State of Ohio tipped to the east. Louisa is on the eastern border of the county. Louisa is the county seat and the largest city. It is 16.5% of the county population.
Blaine
Louisa
