Note: This is NOT the official web site of Thomas 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 Thomas County, linked below:
Address and Phone Number: See NaCO web page for Thomas County
Location: Thomasville
GPS Coordinates: 30.83881, 83.98177 Date Built: 1858, remodeled 1888
Architectural Style: Greek Revival (1858), Classical/Victorian elements added 1888
Designer: John Wind (1858), unknown (1888 remodeling)
Other Information: The legislation creating Thomas County provided that superior and inferior courts initially would be held in the house of Charles Kingsley. Reportedly, a log cabin was subsequently built in Thomasville to serve as the county's first courthouse. This simple structure was followed by a larger courthouse, presumably built of wood. The present courthouse -- a three-story brick building -- was originally constructed in 1858. It underwent a major remodeling in 1888, with subsequent renovations in 1909, 1918, 1922, and 1937. [See photo, postcard, and postcard 2 for early photos of the Thomas County courthouse.]
County Courthouse Historical Marker: Click here
County History: Thomas County was created from Decatur and Irwin counties on Dec. 23, 1825 by an act of the General Assembly (Ga. Laws 1825, p. 54). Georgia's 67th county was named for Gen. Jett Thomas, who oversaw construction of the first building at the University of Georgia as well as the state capitol at Milledgeville and went on to become a hero of the War of 1812.
Portions of Thomas County later were used to form Colquitt County (1856), Brooks County (1858), and Grady County (1905).
County Seat: Thomasville. The act creating Thomas County designated a commission of five named individuals to select a site for location of the county seat. In 1826, the commissioners selected a site on the Old Coffee Road that traveled through southwest Georgia to Tallahassee, Florida, and named it Thomasville in honor of Gen. Jett Thomas. Thomasville was incorporated by an act of the legislature approved Dec. 26, 1831.
Maps
Size of County (Total Area): 552.1 square miles
County Rank in Total Area: 20th out of 159
Population:
Thomas County
City of Thomasville
© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
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