McNairy

Formed October 8, 1823 (53^rd county)

McNairy County (25,859), Selmer (4,453)

The masonry Art Deco building was constructed in 1948.  It is on a square at Court Avenue, 3^rd Street, Houston Avenue, and 4^th Street.  Court Avenue is United States Highway 64 Business in this part of the town.  Joseph Holman and Thomas Marr provided the designs.  A marble entrance way is the building feature.  The building was renovated in 1996.  A Liberty Bell replica and veterans’ memorials are on the grounds.  There were also 1825, 1830, and 1891 courthouses earlier.  Purdy was the first county seat until 1890 when Selmer assumed the position.  The county was created on October 8, 1823 from Hardin County as the 53^rd county.  It is named for Judge John McNairy.  Selmer is a misspelling of Selma, Alabama. 

McNairy County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 21 Commissioners.  Two Circuit Court Judges, Two Chancery Court Judges, and One General Court Judge serve McNairy, Fayette, Hardeman, Lauderdale, and Tipton counties.  The county is on the southwest border with Mississippi.  Memphis, Tennessee is west and Nashville, Tennessee is northeast of the county.  The county center is 3.3 miles East of Selmer.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Chester and Hardin counties and Mississippi and Hardeman County. 

The area of the county is 560 square miles.  It is 22 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 56 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 46.2 persons per square mile making it 72 out of 95 in the state.  McNairy County has 40.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 45 passes north to south through the county from Chester County to Mississippi.  United States Highway 64 goes east to west from Hardin County to Hardeman County.  The county is a rectangle with a dome on top.  Selmer is located slightly south of center in the county.  Selmer is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 17.2% of the county population.  The county is

Milledgeville