Green County was formed in 1792 from portions of Lincoln and Nelson counties. Green became only the 16th county within the state in order of formation. The county is named after Revolutionary War hero General Nathaniel Greene yet the reason why the final E is missing is unknown. Three courthouses have served Green County. In 1804, a brick building replaced an earlier log structure, and while no longer operational, it stands in the Downtown Greensburg Historic District as the oldest courthouse building in the commonwealth. The present courthouse dates from 1931. According to the most recent bureau report, Green County has 289 square miles of land and has just over 11,000 residents.