Henry County, Georgia

Henry County Education, Geography, and History

Henry County is a county located in the state of Georgia. Based on the 2010 census, the county's population was 203,922.  Henry County was created on May 15, 1821. The county seat is McDonough. The county is named for Patrick Henry, Revolutionary War firebrand and champion of individual rights, to whom the slogan "give me liberty, or give me death" is attributed.

Henry County is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is home to the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton.

Etymology - Origin of Henry County Name

Georgia's 50th county was named for Patrick Henry, whose powerful rhetoric helped push the Colonies into the Revolutionary War.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Henry County History

Henry County was formed in 1821 from Creek Indian lands. Georgia's 50th county was named for Patrick Henry, whose powerful rhetoric helped push the Colonies into the Revolutionary War. Although spellings differ, McDonough, the county seat, was named for Captain James MacDonough, the victor over the British on Lake Champlain in the War of 1812.

There are several historic places throughout Henry County. The Brown House in McDonough is home to the Henry County Historical Society. Built in 1826, the building was the home of Andrew McBride, a Revolutionary War Veteran from South Carolina. The home became the Brown House Hotel after it was expanded in 1874. The Romanesque style county courthouse, built in 1897, is also located in McDonough. Locust Grove features a century-old hardware store that has been owned and operated by four generations of the Gardner family.

The McDonough area is also home to the Shingleroof Methodist Campground where annual campmeetings have held since the 1830's. The campground was used as a training ground for Confederate forces during the Civil War.

Points of Interest

Henry County hosts several major sporting events each year. The Chick-Fil-A Charity Championship, a Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour Event, is held at the Eagles Landing Country Club each April. The Atlanta Motor Speedway, located in Hampton, is home to two major National Association of Stock Car Racing (NASCAR) events.

The Panola Mountain State Conservation Park is located east of Stockbridge on the county's border with Rockdale County. The 537-acre park surrounds Panola Mountain, a million-year-old granite monadnock. The South River, which eventually flows into Lake Jackson, also flows through the park.

Notable Citizens

Famous individuals from Henry County include James Weldon Johnson, founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Martin Luther King, Sr., who was born and raised on a farm near Stockbridge and Congressional Medal of Honor winner Ray Davis of Stockbridge.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 327 square miles (850 km²), of which 322 square miles (830 km²) is land and 4.4 square miles (11 km²) (1.4%) is water.

 Henry county is located in northwest Georgia. The county is in the Flint River basin and the Ocmulgee River basin

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• North: DeKalb County
• Northeast: Rockdale County; Newton County
• Southeast: Butts County
• Southwest: Spalding County
• Northwest: Clayton County

Education

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