Chester

Formed March 1, 1879 (95^th county)

Chester County (17,348), Henderson (6,311)                

The domed red brick courthouse was built in 1913 on a square at Crook Avenue, Court Street, Cason Avenue, and Main Street.  Tennessee State Highway 100 is Main Street.  H. T. McGee designed this Classical Revival structure.  The building was enlarged in 1955.  There was an 1883 version of the courthouse earlier in Henderson, the only county seat.  The facility also has columns as well as the dome tower.  The county was established on March 1, 1879 from parts of Hardeman, Henderson, McNairy and Madison counties as the 95^th and last county.  The county is named for War of 1812 hero Robert I. Chester.  Henderson is named for War of 1812 hero James Henderson.  He is also the namesake of Henderson County. 

Chester County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 18 Commissioners.  Three Circuit Court Judges, One Chancery Court Judge, and One General Court Judge serve Chester, Henderson, and Madison counties.  The county is in the southwest part of Tennessee.  Memphis, Tennessee is southwest and Nashville, Tennessee is northeast of the county.  The county center is 3 miles East-Southeast of Henderson.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Henderson, Hardin, McNairy, Hardeman, and Madison counties. 

The area of the county is 289 square miles.  It is 76 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 74 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 60.0 persons per square mile making it 56 out of 95 in the state.  Chester County has 37.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 45 travels through the county from north to south from Madison County to McNairy County.  The county looks like a plus sign bent toward the southwest.  Henderson is located in the western third of the county.  Henderson is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 36.4% of the county population.  This county is in the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Silerton