Claiborne

Formed October 29, 1801 (19^th county)

Claiborne County (32,213), Tazewell (2,218), Harrogate (4,389)

The 1932 red brick Neo-Classical building is on Main Street at Court Street.  Tennessee State Highway 33 passes one block to the east of the courthouse.  Baumann & Baumann provided the structure designs.  The building sits on a hill and features external columns and memorials and internal marble walls.  Tazewell, the only county seat, also had an 1850 courthouse.  Claiborne County was formed on October 29, 1801 from parts of Grainger and Hawkins counties as the 19^th county.  It is named for Louisiana Governor William C. C. Claiborne.  The county seat is named for Tazewell, Virginia. 

Claiborne County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 21 Commissioners.  One Circuit Court Judge, One Chancery Court Judge, and One General Court Judge serve Claiborne, Campbell, Fentress, Scott, and Union counties.  The county is on the northeast border with both Kentucky and Virginia.  Knoxville, Tennessee is south and Nashville, Tennessee is southwest of the county.  The county center is 5 miles Northwest of Tazewell nearer New Tazewell.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Kentucky and Virginia and Hancock, Grainger, Union, and Campbell counties. 

The area of the county is 442 square miles.  It is 49 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 46 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 72.88 persons per square mile making it 44 out of 95 in the state.  Claiborne County has 31.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 25 East enters the county from the north, Kentucky, and exits to the southeast, Grainger County.  The county resembles a thumb sticky southeast.  Tazewell is located in the eastern quarter of the county.  Harrogate is on the northern border of the county.  Tazewell is the county seat and Harrogate is the largest city.  Tazewell is 6.9% of the county population while Harrogate is 13.6% of the county population.

Tazewell