Bibb County, Georgia

Bibb County Education, Geography, and History

Bibb County is a county located in the state of Georgia. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 155,547. Bibb County was created on December 9, 1852 from Jones, Monroe, Twiggs and Houston counties. The county seat is located in Macon. The county is named in honor of Dr. William Wyatt Bibb (1780 - 1820), the first Governor of Alabama and a US Senator.

Bibb County is part of the Macon, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Bibb County Name

 The county is named for Dr. William Wyatt Bibb. Dr. Bibb lived in Elbert County, and served in the US House of Representatives in the US Senate. He was appointed governor of the Territory of Alabama in 1816 and became the first elected governor of that state.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Bibb County History

The county, the 54th county formed, was named for Dr. William Wyatt Bibb. Dr. Bibb lived in Elbert County, and served in the US House of Representatives in the US Senate. He was appointed governor of the Territory of Alabama in 1816 and became the first elected governor of that state.

Macon was incorporated in 1823 and named after Senator Nathaniel Macon of North Carolina - the home state of most of the early white settlers in the area. Macon's City Hall served as the temporary state capitol from November 1864 to March 1865. On July 31, 2012, by a margin of 57% to 43%, voters in the county approved a measure to consolidate Bibb County with the county seat, Macon and dissolve the government of the only other incorporated municipality in the county, Payne City; however, Payne City was officially dissolved by Governor Nathan Deal on March 27, 2015

Macon is home to Wesleyan College, founded in 1836 as the Georgia Female College, the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women.

In Macon there are 11 National Register Historic Districts and 2 national Historic Landmark as well as a national monument.

Points of Interest

Macon is home to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. These two facilities play an integral role in the ongoing revitalization of downtown Macon.

The Italian Renaissance Revival Mansion, the Hay House, was built in the 1850. This National Historic Landmark is over 18,000 square feet and has 24 rooms decorated with museum pieces.

Georgia's largest African American museum, Tubman African American Museum, offers fourteen exhibition galleries, a resource center and magnificent 63-foot mural depicting African-American art, history and culture. Permanent collections are accompanied by touring national and international exhibitions by well-known African American artists.

The Douglas Theatre, built in 1921 by black entrepreneur Charles Douglass, is a restored historic theatre that has hosted greats like Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ida Cox and Cab Calloway. The Douglass Theatre now pays tribute to the African American influence on film and theatre

Notable Citizens

Two notable Georgians from Bibb County are Sidney Clopton Lanier (1842-1881), poet, author, and musician, and the late Otis Redding, the recording star whose hits included "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay".

The Italian Renaissance Revival Mansion, the Hay House, was built in the 1850. This National Historic Landmark is over 18,000 square feet and has 24 rooms decorated with museum pieces.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 255 square miles (660 km²), of which 250 square miles (650 km²) is land and 5.6 square miles (15 km²) (2.2%) is water.

 Bibb county is located close to the center of Georgia. The  county is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Northeast: Jones County
• Southeast: Twiggs County
• South: Houston County
• Southwest: Peach County; Crawford County
• Northwest: Monroe County

Education

Higher Education

Macon State College, Wesleyan College, Mercer University, and Central Georgia Technical College.

Compare More Colleges and Universities

Find more schools to match to your needs.

Start Now