About Us

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The 1888 Greene County Courthouse, located at 306 W. Court Street in Paragould (Greene County), is a three-story rectangular structure. The building exhibits the Italianate style in the low-pitched, hipped roofline; the square cupola supporting a clock tower; widely overhanging eaves with decorative brackets; and tall, narrow windows. The exterior also features Georgian Revival accents shown in the pediments on each side. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 11, 1976. The restored building is no longer used as a courthouse, but it houses the Paragould Regional Chamber of Commerce and is open to visitors.


Greene County was formed on November 5, 1833 out of portions of Lawrence County, Clay and Craighead counties. Greene county was named after Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene. 

The heart of Greene County and also the county seat, is Paragould which lays just beyond Crowley's Ridge.


The first settler to the area was Benjamin Crowley (1758-1842) of Kentucky who arrived in 1821 and established a home about 12 miles west of Paragould. His home served as the original county seat. 


Greene County is located in the northeast section of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The 2025 projected population for Greene County is 47,418. This projection assumes an annual rate of change of 0.7%, consistent with the population change from 2022 to 2023 according to the US Census Bureau's 2023 Population Estimates Program.

History of GCHGS
















In 1933, the Crowley’s Ridge Historical Society was formed to preserve the history of eight northeastern Arkansas counties. At that time, J.M. Futrell was nominated as president, with H.I. Ponder as vice-president, and George M. Moreland as historian. Unfortunately, no records survived.


In 1964, the Greene County Historical Society  was founded by locals with a passion for history.  The first officers were: Raymond Frey, president; Alfred Holland, vice-president; Mrs. W.L. Skaggs, secretary; and J.W. Thompson, treasurer. Over time, lack of interest and dwindling membership forced the Society to disband.


September 14, 1987  the Society was reorganized   under the new name of Greene County Historical and Genealogical Society. Officers were: Dr. Bennie Mitchell, president;  Dr. Omer E. Bradsher, vice-president; Mary Esther Herget, second vice-president; Dawn Linden, secretary; and Barbara Hazzard, treasurer.


GCHGS has remained active ever since 1987, however they moved to several different locations.  The most notable ones were  in the Lipscomb Room at the Greene County Library, 110 N. Pruett Street, 212 West Court Street, and our current location of 320 West Main Street. Our latest move was in September of 2023 when the First United Methodist Church provided us the opportunity to move into their former parsonage  which was not being used at the time. 



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"To Preserve, Publish, Educate and Promote Greene County, Arkansas' History and the Families that Settled Here."








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