Perry

Formed January 1, 1820 (16^th county)

Perry County (11,514), New Augusta (556), Richton (925)

A red/tan brick Greek Revival structure for Perry County was constructed in 1904 and remodeled in 1991.  The courthouse is on 1^st Street at Main Street.  Mississippi State Highway 29 is two blocks to the west of the site.  William S. Hull is the building designer.  The building was enlarged in 1992.  The structure features columns.  The county was founded on January 1, 1820 from Greene County as the 16^th county.  Augusta was the first county seat until 1906 when New Augusta assumed the role.  The county is named for War of 1812 hero Admiral Oliver Hazard Perry.  The county seat is named for the first Augusta, Mississippi. 

The area of the county is 647 square miles.  It is 26 out of 82 in the state.  It ranks 65 out of 82 in population in the state.  It has a density of 17.8 persons per square mile making it 72 out of 82 in the state.  Perry County has 18.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 78 crosses the county east to west from Greene County to Forrest County.  Perry County is a tall rectangle.  New Augusta is in the western half of the county.  Richton is in the northeast corner of the county.  New Augusta is the county seat and Richton is the largest city.  New Augusta is 4.8% of the county population while Richton is 8.0% of the county population. 

Perry County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Supervisors.  Four Chancery Court Judges serve Perry, Forrest, Lamar, Marion, and Pearl River counties and Two District Court Judges serve Perry and Forrest counties.  The county is in southern Mississippi.  Jackson, Mississippi is northwest and Mobile, Alabama is southeast of the county.  The county center is 3.2 miles South-Southeast of New Augusta.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Wayne, Greene, George, Stone, Forrest, and Jones counties.  This county is in the Hattiesburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.