Winston

Formed December 31, 1833 (42^nd county)

Winston County (17,709), Louisville (6,072)

The white columns stand out on the 1964 red brick Modern Classical Revival courthouse on Main and Court streets.  Main Street is Mississippi State Highway 14 in the town.  There was an 1881 version earlier in Louisville the only county seat.  Thomas H. Johnson, Jr., and Associates provided the designs.  The facility has marble walls and shutters with veteran memorials on the grounds.  An Annex is being added.  Winston County was formed on December 31, 1833 from parts of Lowndes, Rankin, and Wayne counties as the 42^nd county.  The county is named for lawyer Louis Winston.  The county seat is also named for him. 

Winston County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a collector, a coroner, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.)  Two Chancery Court Judges serve Winston, Attala, Carroll, Choctaw, Kemper, and Neshoba counties, Two District Court Judges serve Winston, Attala, Carroll, Choctaw, Grenada, and Webster counties and a court clerk serve Winston County (judicial.) The county is in eastern Mississippi.  Jackson, Mississippi is southwest and Birmingham, Alabama is east of the county.  The county center is in Louisville .7 miles East of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Oktibbeha, Noxubee, Kemper, Neshoba, Leake, Attala, and Choctaw counties. 

The area of the county is 607 square miles.  It is 32 out of 82 in the state.  It ranks 53 out of 82 in population in the state.  It has a density of 29.2 persons per square mile making it 52 out of 82 in the state.  Winston County has 36.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  Winston County looks like a set of stairs.  Louisville is located near the center of the county.  Louisville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 34.3% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced LOO-IS-VIL.