Barrow County is the 24th fastest growing county in the country, with a population of 46,144. One of the youngest counties in the state of Georgia, Barrow was created on July 7, 1914 as a way of settling a dispute among the citizens of the City of Winder, which at the time was located at the juncture of three counties. A new county was created from parts of Gwinnett, Jackson, and Walton counties, with Winder designated as the county seat. The new county was named for David Crenshaw "Uncle Dave" Barrow, long-time chancellor of the University of Georgia.
The county seat is Winder, which was incorporated in 1893 when the Seaboard Air Line Railroad  was built through the town. It was named after the president of the railroad, John H. Winder of North Carolina. Before being incorporated as Winder, the town was called Brandon. Prior to that, it had been known as Jug Tavern. Other municipalities located in Barrow County include Auburn, Carl, Bethlehem and Statham. The overall 2000 county population based on the census was 46, 144. This represents a growth rate of just over 55% countywide.
Fort Yargo State Park is located in the county. The park includes the old Fort Yargo, a log fort constructed in 1792 for protection from the Creek and Cherokee Indians.
As late as the 1940’s, Barrow County was known as the work clothing capitol of the world. Since then, Barrow County has diversified, and now serves as home to Chateau Elan Resort, Yokohama Tire Corporation, Harrison Poultry and Johns-Manville.
Located between Metro Atlanta and Athens, Barrow County features the best of both worlds. Residents are close enough to enjoy all the amenities of the "big city" without all the traffic and congestion.
I hope that you will consider either Winder, Auburn, Bethlehem, Braselton, Carl or Statham home! |