Gwinnett County Creation

Gwinnett County Creation. . The Georgia Legislature authorized the creation of Gwinnett County in 1818 and named it after Button Gwinnett. He was one of three Georgia signers of the Declaration of Independence but never lived in the county., The first meetings, court proceedings, and elections were held at the home of Elisha and Philadelphia Winn. Today, the house is the oldest surviving building in the county. The Gwinnett Historical Society hosts the annual Elisha Winn Festival there., Elisha Winn served in many roles in the community. He helped select the central location for the courthouse and jail on Land Lot 146, which he purchased for $200. The newly created city of Lawrenceville became the county seat in 1821., Captions (clockwise from top right)
. How did Gwinnett County gets its name? Button Gwinnett was one of three Georgians to sign the Declaration of Independence. Source: Digital Library of Georgia , . Gwinnett's western border is the Chattahoochee River, which was a dividing line between the Creek Indians to the south and the Cherokee Indians to the north. Source: New Georgia Encyclopedia Courtesy of Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Georgia Libraries , . This colorized postcard from 1914 depicts the Historic Courthouse as it was before renovations. Source: Gwinnett Historical Society , . The home of Elisha Winn, where the county's first meetings, elections, and court proceedings were held. The renovated structure is the oldest surviving building in the county. , . The Winn property also houses this one-room jail. Source: GwinettCitizen.com