Discover Randolph County.
Our Mission
The Randolph County Historical Society is dedicated to the preservation of historic documents, objects, materials, and buildings relevant to the past and current history of Randolph County, Georgia as well as to promote historical tourism and educational opportunities in Southwest Georgia.
Randolph County History
Randolph County was created on December 20, 1828, and named after the Virginia planter and politician, John Randolph.
He was honored originally as the namesake of present-day Jasper County but, because of his opposition to U.S. entry into the War of 1812, the Georgia General Assembly changed the county name to Jasper County on December 10, 1812.
Eventually, John Randolph’s reputation was restored. In 1828, the General Assembly organized the current Randolph County in the west of the state that had historically been inhabited by the Muscogee people of the Creek Nation.
Lumpkin, Georgia was the original county seat It was within the portion of Randolph County that was reassigned in 1830 to form Stewart County. Lumpkin was designated as the latter’s county seat and was replaced by Cuthbert as the Randolph County seat.
Historic Highlights
Andrew College
The Charter of Andrew College was granted in 1854 by the Georgia Legislature. Originally named Andrew Female College, Andrew operated as a women’s four-year college for 63 years. In 1917, Andrew became a junior college, and in 1956, the institution became co-educational. The college continues its Methodist heritage and Wesleyan values.
During the Civil War, classes were stopped and the College served as a hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers. When classes resumed in 1866, a physical education course was added to the College’s curriculum, the first such course to be required of women in the South. In 1892, Andrew’s buildings burnt to the ground. However, the people of Cuthbert raised the funds necessary to build Old Main, the College’s landmark building, that very same year.
Only a handful of colleges in Georgia are older than Andrew and few possess such a rich and celebrated history. Andrew College recently celebrated the culmination of its Sesquicentennial (150 years of service), and the college now offers baccalaureate and associate degrees.
Randolph County Courthouse
A wooden courthouse was built here in 1837, with that structure replaced by a brick building around 1840. However, in 1845, the legislature authorized Randolph County officials to levy a special tax to build a new courthouse, so the county's second courthouse may actually date to 1845 or 1846.
In 1871, the legislature authorized the county to borrow $20,000 to build a new courthouse, subject to voter approval. Apparently, the election failed, for the legislature enacted new legislation in 1883 calling for a referendum to allow the county to borrow $15,000 to build a courthouse. The election was delayed until 1885, and this time voters gave their approval. By 1886-1887, when the current courthouse was completed, many of Georgia's counties had recovered from the devastation of the Civil War and had grown wealthy enough to afford "high style" courthouses. One of the favored styles of the period was Queen Anne, a fanciful approach to design. Playful and inventive forms were the rule.
Designed by architects Kimball, Wheeler and Parkins of Atlanta after the Civil War the current courthouse was completed in the fanciful Queen Anne style. It features a Dutch stepped gable over the main entrance, ornate Victorian lettering, and a tower that’s roof begins as a pyramid but ends as a cone.
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Randolph County was created on December 20, 1828, and named after the Virginia planter and politician, John Randolph. The General Assembly organized the current Randolph County in the west of the state that had historically been inhabited by the Muscogee people of the Creek Nation.