History of Covington, Georgia
The City of Covington is a city with rich cultural heritage and a vision for the future.
Adorning the Main Street area and historical district are carefully restored manor homes, churches, parks and the downtown Square. Still the center of the community, The Square is often host to festive social events such as outdoor luncheon concerts.
Home to many feature films and one of the longest- running television series, "In the Heat of the Night", visitors to Covington can see many of the sights with which they became so familiar from the series.
Other vacationers take advantage of the many recreational facilities in and around Newton County such as lakes, rivers, hiking trails, and golf courses. A number of tours are available including the Annual Tour of Homes and a tour of the original Emory University campus, Oxford College, and our award winning winery Fox Vineyards.
In 1988 Covington was awarded the designation of a Georgia "Main Street" city due to the community's dedication to the preservation of its 19th century structures.
A full tour of homes is held the first Saturday in October as part of Autumn Weekend in Covington. This tour is sponsored by the Newton County Historical Society
The History of Covington and Newton County
The land area of Covington-Newton County was once a part of the Creek Indian Nation. The Creek Indians roamed the land until 1813 when Georgia Governor Thorp negotiated a treaty whereby they gave up their claim to the land. A decade later the last of the Creek Indians were banished to Oklahoma over the "Trail of Tears."
Newton County was created by the Georgia General Assembly on December 24, 1821. It was formed from parts of Henry, Jasper, and Walton Counties. The new county was named for Sergeant John Newton who was a Revolutionary War hero. for more information on Newton County and it's history visit Newton County Chamber of Commerce.
The first settlers located in Eastern Newton County. "The Brick Store" was built in 1822 and stands today. Lack of adequate water caused the settlers to move further west and establish Newtonsboro, which was later changed to Covington. The state constitution required that county seats be located near the center of the county. In April, 1822, the Inferior Court ordered the purchase of Land Lot 254 from Leonard Fretwell for $2,000 for the county seat which would be called Newtonsborough. On December 1, 1822, Covington was incorporated. Covington was named for General Leonard Covington who was a hero in the War of 1812.
The coming of the railroad in 1845 was the beginning of the growth and stability of Covington and Newton County. Covington-Newton County's extensive agricultural base produced related industries, like textile mills, as early as the 1840's. After 1900, textiles became a major industry in the area serving the farmers of the surrounding counties.
Covington is noted for its many ante-bellum structures, which are today blended with new and modern buildings. Together they present an excellent comparison of the past and present.
Modern, diversified industry has largely supplanted Agriculture as the principal source of income for Newton Countians. Covington has maintained its position as a regional shopping area and serves citizens from the surrounding counties.