Henry

Formed December 13, 1819 (25^th county)

Henry County (17,148), Abbeville (2,355), Headland (4,969)

The Modern columned tan brick county courthouse was built in 1966.  It is located on Court Square at Washington, Kirkland, Williams, and Doswell streets.  Alabama State Highway 10 is Washington Street in this part of the town.  Ebbs & Davis were the designers of this courthouse.  Abbeville also had an 1889 version of the courthouse.  Richmond, Columbia, and Abbeville have all been the county seat.  Virginia Governor Patrick Henry was the namesake for the county.  The county seat was named for Abbie Creek.  Henry County was created on December 13, 1819 from Conecuh County as the 25^th county. 

Henry County government consists of a sheriff, revenue commissioner, and coroner (executive).  It has 6 commissioners (legislative.)  Six Circuit Judges serve Henry and Houston counties and a District Judge, a Probate Judge, a District Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Henry County (judicial.)  The county is in southeast corner of the state.  Dothan, Alabama is just south of the county.  The center of the county is 5.5 miles south of Abbeville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Barbour County and Georgia and Houston and Dale counties.  The Chattahoochee River forms the eastern border with Georgia.  Abbeville is the county seat and Headland is the largest city.  Abbeville is 13.7% of the county population and Headland is 29.0% of the county population. 

The county has an area of 561.8 square miles.  It ranks 62 out of 67 in size.  It ranks 51 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 31.4 persons per square mile making it 44 out of 67 in the state.  Henry County has 46.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 431 passes north to south through the county from Barbour County to Houston County.  The county is rectangular shaped with a top notch on the northeast corner.  Abbeville is north of the center of the county.  Headland is in the southwest corner of the county.  The county is in the Dothan Metropolitan Statistical Area.