The City of Baxley, the county seat of Appling County, was incorporated on February 23, 1875. The city was named for an early settler from North Carolina, William Baxley.

The Appling County courthouse in Baxley is a historic site built around the early 1900s and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Also, the Appling County Heritage Center shares the history of the county with visitors. The museum includes agricultural implements, a turpentine collection, the Black History exhibit and 19th and 20th century memorabilia.