Note: This is NOT the official web site of Bleckley County or of any county officials; it is an educational web site about the history of the county courthouse and the county itself.  For the address and phone number of the courthouse and county officials, see the NaCO web page for Bleckley County, linked below: Address and Phone Number: See NaCO web page for Bleckley County Location: Cochran Date Built: 1914 Architectural Style: Neoclassical Revival Designer: Sayre & Baldwin

Other Information: It is unclear what served as Bleckley County courthouse from 1912 to 1914, when the present courthouse was built. Since then, there have been several renovations and additions to the courthouse. County Courthouse Historical Marker: Click here County History: On July 30, 1912 , the General Assembly proposed a constitutional amendment to create Bleckley County from a portion of Pulaski County (Ga. Laws 1912, p. 38). In that year's general election, Georgia voters ratified the proposed amendment on Oct. 2, 1912, which marks the official date of Bleckley County's creation (although a state historical marker on the courthouse grounds incorrectly cites the county's creation as the day the legislative act proposing the constitutional amendment was approved). Georgia's 147th county was named for former Georgia Supreme Court chief justice Logan Bleckley, who held the post 1887-1894. Why was Bleckley County created by constitutional amendment instead of an act of the General Assembly? In 1904, Georgia voters had approved a constitutional amendment limiting the number of counties in the state to 145. The next year, the General Assembly created eight new counties, bringing the total number to 145 -- the constitutional limit. Nevertheless, there was continuing pressure to create more counties. Beginning in 1906, lawmakers got around the 145-county limitation by creating new counties through constitutional amendments that were not subject to the limitation. By 1924, Georgia had 161 counties -- 16 of which had been created by constitutional amendment. On Jan. 1, 1932, Milton and Campbell counties merged with Fulton, leaving 159 counties. In 1945, Georgia voters ratified a new constitution -- one which provided an absolute limit of 159 counties, with an additional provision (see text) that no new country could be created except through consolidation of existing counties. County Seat: The 1912 constitutional amendment creating Bleckley County designated Cochran as county seat. Cochran, initially known as Dykesboro, was first settled in the 1850s. After the Macon & Brunswick Railroad was built through Dykesboro, local residents renamed the town after that railroad's president, Arthur Cochran. On March 19, 1869, the legislature incorporated Cochran (Ga. Laws 1869, p. 75). Maps Georgia DOT Map of Bleckley County, pdf (528K) Historical Maps of Bleckley County   Size of County (Total Area): 219.1 square miles County Rank in Total Area: 134th out of 159 Population: Bleckley County 11,666 (2000) Bleckley County Historical Population Profile City of Cochran 4,455 (2000)

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