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Elisha Winn House
The Elisha Winn house was built about 1812, in lands that were then a part of Jackson County. This was 6 years prior to the actual incorporation of Gwinnett County. During this time, Elisha Winn was a Justice of Inferior Court in Jackson County from 1815-1817. Elisha and Roger, together with Elisha Pugh, purchased the 7300-acre Jones tract along the Appalachee River from the Jackson County tax collector in 1809. The Winn house now stands on a part of this property. This property became a part of Gwinnett County on December 15, 1818, when the Georgia legislature incorporated the counties of Gwinnett, Walton and Hall. Included in the lands of which these counties are made up was former Indian land which had been ceded to the state.
All of the Jackson County land was included in order to get enough residents to vote so that they could hold elections and begin to govern. The former Indian lands would be distributed thru a state lottery. The three new counties were named for Georgia's signers of the Declaration of Independence - Button Gwinnett, George Walton and Lyman Hall.
As a part of the new county of Gwinnett, the Winn house became historically significant because it was here that much of the planning for the new county took place. Also, it was here that the first functions of county government took place. Inferior Court and the first elections were held in the parlor, and, by early spring of 1819, Gwinnett had a complete slate of elected officials: Sheriff, Clerk of Superior Court, Clerk of Inferior Court, Tax Collector, Tax Receiver, Coroner and Surveyor. The first 5 judges of the Inferior Court were commissioned on February 2, 1819, and included Elisha Winn. He served in this position thru 1825, when he became a state senator from Gwinnett (1826) and a state representative from Gwinnett (1830, 1833 and 1837).
Early sessions of Superior Court (1819-1822) were held in Elisha Winn's barn, the original of which no longer exists. Being the seat of government, the first jail in Gwinnett was also built here. The current jail is similar to the original and stands in the place where the original was built. The county government was relocated to a permanent setting in the new city of Lawrenceville in 1820. The Winns relocated closer to Lawrenceville in 1824.
The property is now under the care of the Gwinnett Historical Society, members of which have done major restoration work. Many thanks to Mr. Tom McGee, who found me taking pictures here and gave me a guided tour of the house and grounds.
Elisha Winn House
The Elisha Winn house was built about 1812, in lands that were then a part of Jackson County. This was 6 years prior to the actual incorporation of Gwinnett County. During this time, Elisha Winn was a Justice of Inferior Court in Jackson County from 1815-1817. Elisha and Roger, together with Elisha Pugh, purchased the 7300-acre Jones tract along the Appalachee River from the Jackson County tax collector in 1809. The Winn house now stands on a part of this property. This property became a part of Gwinnett County on December 15, 1818, when the Georgia legislature incorporated the counties of Gwinnett, Walton and Hall. Included in the lands of which these counties are made up was former Indian land which had been ceded to the state.
All of the Jackson County land was included in order to get enough residents to vote so that they could hold elections and begin to govern. The former Indian lands would be distributed thru a state lottery. The three new counties were named for Georgia's signers of the Declaration of Independence - Button Gwinnett, George Walton and Lyman Hall.
As a part of the new county of Gwinnett, the Winn house became historically significant because it was here that much of the planning for the new county took place. Also, it was here that the first functions of county government took place. Inferior Court and the first elections were held in the parlor, and, by early spring of 1819, Gwinnett had a complete slate of elected officials: Sheriff, Clerk of Superior Court, Clerk of Inferior Court, Tax Collector, Tax Receiver, Coroner and Surveyor. The first 5 judges of the Inferior Court were commissioned on February 2, 1819, and included Elisha Winn. He served in this position thru 1825, when he became a state senator from Gwinnett (1826) and a state representative from Gwinnett (1830, 1833 and 1837).
Early sessions of Superior Court (1819-1822) were held in Elisha Winn's barn, the original of which no longer exists. Being the seat of government, the first jail in Gwinnett was also built here. The current jail is similar to the original and stands in the place where the original was built. The county government was relocated to a permanent setting in the new city of Lawrenceville in 1820. The Winns relocated closer to Lawrenceville in 1824.
The property is now under the care of the Gwinnett Historical Society, members of which have done major restoration work. Many thanks to Mr. Tom McGee, who found me taking pictures here and gave me a guided tour of the house and grounds.