Clarkesville, Alabama, also spelled Clarksville, is a ghost town in Clarke County with a notable early history. Below is detailed information about the town:
County: Clarke County
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 31°43′41″N, 87°52′39″W
Elevation: Approximately 200 feet (61 meters)
Time Zone: Central Time Zone (UTC-6; UTC-5 during Daylight Saving Time)
Established: 1819
Disestablished: 1860s
Comments: Clarkesville (also spelled Clarksville) is a ghost town in Clarke County, Alabama. Clarkesville was established in 1819 as the county seat of Clarke County. The Alabama legislature appointed county commissioners on December 13, 1819, to select a site for Clarke County’s “seat of justice,” stipulating it be within 3 miles of the county’s center.
The commissioners founded Clarkesville as a result. It remained the county seat until 1831, when dissatisfaction led to relocating the seat to Macon, later renamed Grove Hill. The town had vanished from maps by the late 19th century. A small modern community, roughly a mile from the old site, presently calls itself Clarksville.
Remains: No significant structures remain; the area is now overgrown and lacks visible remnants of its past.
Current Status: Barren; classified as a ghost town
Remarks: Clarkesville’s brief tenure as the county seat and subsequent decline highlight the shifting dynamics of early Alabama settlements.
