City of Covington, Georgia Est. 1822
   
      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  suchas 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.