Louisville is a city in Jefferson County, Georgia, United States. It is a former state capital of Georgia and is the county seat of Jefferson County. It is located southwest of Augusta on the Ogeechee River, and its population was 2,712 at the 2000 census. The name is of French origin, but is pronounced "Lewis-ville."HistoryLouisville was incorporated on January 26, 1786, as the prospective state capital. Savannah had served as the colonial capital; but was considered too far from the center of the growing state. Louisville was named for Louis XVI, who was still the King of France and had aided the Continentals during the successful American Revolutionary War. Development of the city began later, and its state government buildings were completed in 1795.The city of Louisville served as the state capital of Georgia from 1796 to 1806. The Jefferson County courthouse, built in 1904, stands on the site of Georgia's first permanent capitol building.Louisville's historic market house still stands in the center of downtown. The original market had sections for everything from farm produce and household goods to slaves. The Old Market is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The market square became the hub of the transportation routes which centered on Louisville while the town was the state's capital.
