Lewis

Formed January 1, 1805 (35^th county)

Lewis County (26,580), Lowville (3,336)

A red brick Greek Revival facility built in 1852 has been recently replaced with a Modern red brick 2008 courthouse.  There was an 1812 courthouse earlier in Martinsville.  The new courthouse was designed by Ashley McGraw Architects.  A County Clerk Building augments the courthouse.  The structure is located on State Street and Trinity Avenue.  New York State Highway 26 is State Street in the town.  Lewis County was organized on January 1, 1805 from Oneida County as the 35^th county.  The county is named for Governor Morgan Lewis.  The county seat was named after settler Nicholas Low. 

Lewis County government consists of an administrator, a sheriff, a comptroller, an attorney, an assessor, and a clerk (executive).  It has 10 Legislators (legislative.)  One County Court Judge serves Lewis County (judicial.)  The county is in northern New York.  Albany, New York is southeast and Buffalo, New York is southwest of the county.  The county center is 5.2 miles Northeast of Lowville nearer New Bremen.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Saint Lawrence, Herkimer, Oneida, Oswego, and Jefferson counties. 

The area of the county is 1290 square miles.  It is 15 out of 62 in the state.  It ranks 59 out of 62 in population in the state.  It has a density of 20.6 persons per square mile making it 60 out of 62 in the state.  Lewis County has 25.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county resembles a misshaped Indian arrowhead.  Lowville is located slightly south of center in the county.  Lowville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 12.6% of the county population.