06/05/2026
On June 4, 1800, Washington County was created as a county by Mississippi Territory Gov. Winthrop Sargent. It was named after the first president of the United States, George Washington and is the oldest established county in Alabama. Washington County was part of Alabama Territory, when it was created in March 1816, and was home to the territorial capital, St. Stephens, from 1817 and 1819. The county's original boundaries extended 300 miles east to west and 88 miles to the north and south. Some 26,400 square miles of Washington County's original territory were carved out to make 16 counties in Mississippi and 29 counties in Alabama. Image shows the Old Washington County Courthouse, in "New" St. Stephens, which is located approximately three miles of the territorial capital. The building, which was completed in 1854, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. The current seat of government for Washington County is Chatom. (Photograph courtesy of Jimmy Emerson) Read the EOA article: https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/washington-county/
