Dawsonville is the county seat of Dawson County, Georgia. The county was originally created by Act of the Legislature Dec. 3, 1857. It was named for William C. Dawson who died in 1856, having served in Congress from Dec. 1836 to Nov. 1842, and in the U.S. Senate from 1849 to 1855. He commanded a brigade in the Creek Indian War of 1836.

In the center of the town of Dawsonville is the Dawson County historic courthouse which was built in 1860. It is one of Georgia's oldest working courthouse.  Within a short walk from the old courthouse is the old jail built in 1881. This historic site is currently the home of Dawson County's Chamber of Commerce.

From the street you can see the iron bars in the windows of the second floor where the actual jail is located. During the week and on special occasions you can still visit this site and look at an eighteenth century jail. While it is not a large structure, it is an interesting location to visit when in town.

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