County Seat: Athens * County Population: 79,184
The Henderson County Courthouse was completed in 1913 and boasts a Classical Revival style as designed by L.L. Thurman.
The county, organized in 1846, was christened in honor of G. J. Pinckney Henderson, while the county seat of Athens was named for either Athens, Georgia, or for the ancient Greek city of Athens.
The first Athens resident, county clerk E.J. Thompson, lived in one end of the county’s early log cabin courthouse. In 1886 a wooden county capitol was erected on the public square, but it soon burned. Another county courthouse was raised and utilized until the current temple of justice, valued at $170,000, was completed. The Henderson County Courthouse was later renovated in 1965.
The community’s past is chronicled in the Henderson County Historical Museum, which includes a display of vintage and antique memorabilia. The first floor showcases a turn-of-the-century dry goods store, and the second floor depicts an early law office, parlor, bedroom, bath, kitchen and schoolroom.
Other area attractions include:
Athens Scuba Park