Incorporated as a town February 26, 1856, the City of Hartwell is the county seat of Hart County. The city was named for Nancy Hart, a heroine of the Revolutionary War who served as spy and captured a group of Tories who threatened her home.

The Teasley-Holland House, in Hartwell, is home to Hart County Historical Society and Museum. The historic museum is a one-story, Victorian style home built in 1880 by Isham Asbury Teasley.