(Lawrenceville, Ga., Dec. 8, 2017) – The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners kicked off the County’s bicentennial observance Tuesday with a proclamation declaring December 15, 2017, through December 15, 2018, Gwinnett County’s Bicentennial Year of Celebration.

December 15, 2017, is Gwinnett County’s 199^th birthday and marks the start of a full year of activities, events, educational opportunities and capital projects that will highlight the county’s two centuries of rich history.

The proclamation was presented at Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners business session. Members of the Gwinnett Bicentennial Advisory Committee and County staff accepted the honor as thanks for their work to organize the yearlong celebration. The group began organizing activities for the bicentennial in January 2017.

At the presentation, Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash expressed excitement for the bicentennial and its potential to help residents learn about and get involved with Gwinnett. She also mentioned another bicentennial project: Gwinnett County’s Story Vault. She encouraged residents to participate in the ongoing effort to gather and record stories from the people who live, work and play in Gwinnett.

“Story Vault helps us learn about our residents, new and old. It allows us to ask one of my favorite questions: ‘Why did you choose Gwinnett?’” Nash said. “If you have a story, sign up for a session. We’re always looking for new perspectives.”

This week also brought the launch of a historic site locator tool created by the County’s Department of Information Technology Services to help residents familiarize themselves with historic sites across Gwinnett County.

The locator is an interactive map that will allow visitors to remotely explore sites in the county, using photos and descriptions to highlight historic buildings, homes, markers, churches, cemeteries and other locations important to the formation and development of Gwinnett County. Some of the featured sites date back before the County’s creation in 1818. 

The bicentennial celebration will reflect Gwinnett’s historic past while embracing the vibrant community of the present. Over the past 200 years, Gwinnett has evolved from a largely agrarian community to a thriving, cosmopolitan hub that is one of the fastest growing, most diverse counties in the Southeast.

To access the historic site locator, a calendar of bicentennial events, videos from Gwinnett County’s Story Vault project and more information about Gwinnett County’s bicentennial celebration, visit www.Gwinnett200.com.

To schedule an appointment to record your own Story Vault video, email info@gwinnettcounty.com or call 770-822-7180.