History

Jefferson County, originally part of Burke and Warren counties, was created in 1796 and named for Thomas Jefferson.

Wadley was originally known as "Shakerag". The name was changed to Wadley in the 1870s in honor of the president of the Central of Georgia Railway. The name change coincided with the designation of Wadley as an official stop on the railroad.

Louisville, the county seat, was named in honor of King Louis XVI of France, because of the support given by France to the Colonials in the Revolution. Louisville was Georgia's third state capital, but its first "permanent" one. The Jefferson County Courthouse, built in 1904, stands on the site of Georgia's first permanent capitol, constructed in 1795.

Louisville was the site of the Constitutional Convention of 1798 in which the state's pre-Civil War constitution was adopted. Georgia's Great Seal, which is still in use today, was adopted at the same time.

Points of Interest

The Old Market House, the county's major tourist attraction, dates to the 1790s and served as the commercial center for the region during the time that the state capital was in Louisville.

Notable Citizens

One of Georgia's most infamous characters hailed from Jefferson County. James Gunn (1753-1801), who was a U.S. Senator, used intimidation to support the Yazoo Act (1795) in which Georgia sold 35 million acres to four companies, including his own, for one and a half cents per acre. The act was later deemed fraudulent and burned on the site of the present courthouse in Louisville.

Annual Events

Jefferson County is the site of multiple festivals including the Hometown Fest in Wadley (August), Pig Pickin' Festival in Wrens (June), and Spier's Turnout Festival in Bartow (May).

Old Bank of Louisville Building, Louisville

Historic Howard Manor, Wrens