Formed October 16, 1823 (57th county)
Haywood County (17,862), Brownsville (9,785)
The red/brown brick Classical Revival structure was constructed in 1885. The facility is in a city square where Washington and Main streets meet. Tennessee State Highway 54 circles the courthouse. R. A. Heavnor is the architect. The building was renovated in 1928 and 1990. A Criminal Justice Center was added in 1974 and a Justice Complex later. There were 1826 and 1868 courthouses earlier in Brownsville, the only county seat. The courthouse feature veterans’ memorials on the outside and copies of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights on the inside. Haywood County was founded on October 16, 1823 as the 57th county. It is named Judge John Haywood. The county seat is named for War of 1812 hero Jacob Jennings Brown.
Haywood County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 20 Commissioners. One Circuit Court Judge, One Chancery Court Judge, and One General Court Judge serve Haywood, Crockett, and Gibson counties. The county is located in southwest Tennessee. Memphis, Tennessee is southwest and Nashville, Tennessee is northeast of the county. The county center is 2.8 miles South-Southwest of Brownsville. The county is surrounded clockwise by Crockett, Madison, Hardeman, Fayette, Tipton, and Lauderdale counties.
The area of the county is 533 square miles. It is 29 out of 95 in the state. It ranks 72 out of 95 in population in the state. It has a density of 33.5 persons per square mile making it 88 out of 95 in the state. Haywood County has 57.1% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 40 passes east to southwest in the county from Madison County to Fayette County. United States Highway 70 parallels Interstate Highway 40 from Madison to Fayette counties. United States Highway 70 Alternate comes from Crockett County, northeast, and terminates. United States Highway 79 is joined with United States Highway Alternate 70, splits and joins United States Highway 70 into Fayette County. The county is a rectangle with the northeast corner sliced away. Brownsville is located near the center of the county. Brownsville is the county seat and the largest city. It is 54.8% of the county population. This county is in the Brownsville Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Brownsville
Stanton
