Wayne

Formed October 21, 1817 (42^nd county)

Wayne County (17,021), Waynesboro (2,449), Clifton (2,694)

The concrete Modern structure was constructed in 1974 on a square at Hollis, High, Hill, and Main streets.  Tennessee State Highway 13 is Main Street at the courthouse.  Yearwood and Johnson are the architects.  A clock steeple is on top of the structure.  A classier courthouse preceded this one from 1905.  There were also 1820, 1822, 1827, and 1844 versions earlier.  Wayne County was founded on October 21, 1817 from Hickman County as the 42^nd county.  The county and its county seat are named for American Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne.  Old Town Branch was the first county seat until 1822 when Waynesboro became the seat. 

Wayne County government consists of a sheriff, a County Executive, and 14 Commissioners.  Four Circuit Court Judges and One General Court Judge serve Wayne, Giles, Lawrence, and Maury counties.  The county is on the southern border with Alabama.  Memphis, Tennessee is west and Nashville, Tennessee is northeast of the county.  The county center is 3.3 miles South-Southwest of Waynesboro.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Perry, Lewis, and Lawrence counties and Alabama and Hardin and Decatur counties.  

The area of the county is 736 square miles.  It is 2 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 74 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 23.13 persons per square mile making it 93 out of 95 in the state.  Wayne County has 36.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 64 crosses east to west in the county from Lawrence County to Hardin County.  The county is an overall rectangular shape.  Waynesboro is located in the northern third of the county.  Clifton is on the northwestern border of the county.  Waynesboro is the county seat and Clifton is the largest city.  Waynesboro is 14.4% of the county population while Clifton is 15.8% of the county population.

Iron City