History

Clarke County was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 5, 1801. The county was named after Revolutionary War hero Elijah Clarke and included 250 square miles of land that was originally part of Jackson County. 

Today, Athens-Clarke County consists of only 125 square miles of real estate and is the smallest county in the state.

Athens was no more than a trading settlement on the banks of the Oconee River called Cedar Shoals during the late 1700s. On January 27, 1785, the Georgia General Assembly chartered the University of Georgia as the first chartered state-supported university. John Milledge purchased 633 acres from Daniel Easley on July 25, 1801, and donated it to the university. He named the land Athens in honor of the Greek city that was the center of culture and learning during ancient times.

What is Real Estate?

Land and generally whatever is erected or growing upon or affixed to land is considered real estate. 

Real estate is also a general term for lands, tenements, and hereditaments; property which, on the death of the owner intestate, passes to his or her heir. The most common association for real estate is one's home or homestead.