Lawrenceville

The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Lawrenceville on December 15, 1821. That makes it the second oldest city in the metropolitan Atlanta area. It is named for Commodore James Lawrence, commander of the frigate Chesapeake in the War of 1812, known for the dying command Don't give up the ship. The first postmaster, William Maltbie, suggested the name.

In 1821 a permanent courthouse site was bought and streets around the square were laid out. Major Grace built the first permanent brick courthouse in 1823 and 1824 for $4,000. Most residents farmed cotton.

The CDC and ATSDR Specimen Packaging, Inventory and Repository, a biorepository, is located in the city and holds over 6.5 million samples.

The Lawrenceville Manufacturing Company, a cotton mill from the 1850s, supplied textiles, including uniforms, to the Confederate army. Union soldiers later set fire to it.

The courthouse on the square was built in 1885. In 1988 the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center was built for $72 million, replacing the older courthouse. It was expanded in 2020 with a five-level parking deck and a five-story courthouse.

Several places are on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Old Seminary Building, the Isaac Adair House and the Gwinnett County Courthouse. The Lawrenceville Heritage Trail has medallions honoring historic contributors downtown.

Major employment sectors include healthcare, public administration, education and retail.

Big employers in the county include Gwinnett County Public Schools, the county government, Northside Hospital, Publix, Georgia Gwinnett College and Gwinnett Technical College. Georgia Gwinnett College is inside the city limits. Peach State Federal Credit Union is headquartered in Lawrenceville.

Lawrenceville Historic Cemetery lies about half a mile from the square.

The Gwinnett County Public Library has a branch in the city.

Other downtown sites include the Old Seminary Building, the Isaac Adair House and the courthouse, all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Georgia 316, U.S. 78 (the Stone Mountain Freeway), U.S. 29, and Georgia routes 8, 20 and 120 serve the city. Xpress commuter buses and Ride Gwinnett operate there.

Gwinnett County Airport (Briscoe Field) lies partly inside Lawrenceville.

Gwinnett County Public Schools runs the public schools. Inside the city limits are Benefield, Margaret Winn Holt, Jenkins and Lawrenceville elementary schools, Jordan Middle School, and Central Gwinnett, Discovery and Phoenix high schools.

The weather is humid subtropical. Annual precipitation is 53.53 inches (1,360 mm). August is the wettest month at 5.05 inches and October the driest at 3.54 inches.