1825–1831
The county seat takes shape
Thomas County was formed in 1825. Thomasville became its county seat in 1826 and was incorporated as a city in 1831; both were named for Major General Jett Thomas.
1861
The railroad changes the city’s reach
A rail connection to Savannah made Thomasville more accessible from the north and helped set the stage for the city’s late-nineteenth-century transformation.
Late 1800s
The Winter Resort of the South
As the southern terminus of the railroad, Thomasville drew winter visitors, grand hotels, sporting life, and the ‘winter cottages’ that still shape its architectural story.
Today
The Rose City, with layered roots
Thomasville was officially designated Georgia’s ‘Rose City’ in 2016. Its history also includes the Apalachee and Lower Muscogee (Creek) people, Black Thomasvillians, and the many communities who shaped the city over time.