Monticello (Mississippi)

Monticello is a town of 1,500 people (2019) on the Pearl River in Lawrence County, south Mississippi. Monticello is home to several beautiful historic buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.

Understand
Monticello was founded in 1798 and named for the home of Thomas Jefferson. The town's name is pronounced with a soft 'c' sound rather than the 'ch' sound used for the home of Thomas Jefferson.

Around 1810, Joseph Cooper started ferry service across the Pearl River in Monticello. Beginning around 1812, St. Stephens Road ran from Natchez, Mississippi to St Stephens, Alabama crossing the Pearl River at Monticello. As Natchez was a prominent city at the time, Monticello gained perhaps its greatest claim to fame in 1821. The Mississippi legislature selected Monticello to be the state capital. However this honor was to be short lived as the legislature reconsidered and picked Jackson the very next day.

Prior to 1860, Monticello was important economically, as the Pearl River was one of the chief north-south transportation routes through Mississippi. However, the main railroad was built through Brookhaven diverting much traffic about 20 miles to the east. Despite the advent of the railroad and its construction east of the river, the Pearl River continued to be an important waterway. Between 1880 and 1922, a shipping channel was maintained in the Pearl River as far north as Jackson, allowing Monticello to remain on a major thoroughfare.

A devastating tornado tore through Monticello in April 1882 nearly obliterating every building. After the tornado, Monticello was rebuilt over the next several years.

The main industries in Monticello and Lawrence County are based on agriculture and pine trees, although there is manufacturer of large excavator buckets in Monticello as well.

Get in
There is no public transportation to Monticello since the passenger train depot closed more than 50 years ago; Monticello has never been serviced by intercity buses.

By car
Monticello can be accessed by car via US 84 and several state highways. US 84 runs through Mississippi from Natchez to Laurel via Brookhaven and Collins. Monticello is between Brookhaven and Collins. A bypass around Monticello opened in 2006 and Monticello can now be accessed by two interchanges, one at Mississippi Highway 27 and one at Old Highway 27. The old highway 84 runs straight through the town and is signed as 184. Mississippi Highway 27 runs north/south through Monticello. If one is traveling south from Jackson, Highway 27 crosses Interstate 55 at Crystal Springs and provides convenient access to Monticello via Mississippi highway 184. Smaller state highways also service Monticello; 587 serves Monticello from the south toward the small communities of White Bluff and Morgantown and originates farther south in Foxworth near Columbia. Highway 43 runs from Columbia north to Monticello on the east side of the Pearl River via Oakvale and Arm. Access to Monticello from the community of New Hebron in northeast part of Lawrence County is also provided by Highway 43.

Get around
As there is no public transportation in Monticello, the best ways to get around Monticello are by car and by foot. The core of Monticello is quite small and can be easily walked, Atwood Water Park and the two motels are a little farther away (each about 1 mile in different directions). This doesn't present too big a barrier, except that Atwood Water Park is across the Pearl River and the bridge over the river is particularly unfriendly for pedestrians.

Do
The Town of Monticello operates several parks and two ball parks. Cooper's Ferry Park is just north of the Civic Center, while Atwood Water Park is a half mile east of the town center across the Pearl River. Atwood Water Park features camping opportunities as well as a boat ramp in the Pearl.



Buy
While Monticello is small, it still has several nice places to shop. While many of these places specialize in used items, there is still a wide variety of stuff available.



Eat
Monticello is home to a variety of local dining options as well as a number of well-known chains.



Drink
While alcoholic beverages are legal within the city limits of Monticello, only beer and light wine are legal throughout the rest of Lawrence County. Any wine or liquor purchased in Monticello cannot be legally taken into the surrounding county. There are no bars in Monticello, although there is a local Coffee shop and two liquor stores.



Sleep
The Town of Monticello is served by two motels near the intersection of Mississippi Highway 27 and Highway 184 in the western part of Monticello. There are also camping opportunities at Atwood Water Park and Lake Mary Crawford. Atwood Water Park has tent camping, cabins, and full RV hookups.



Go next

 * The Long Leaf Trace is a multi-use path, built on converted railroad track, that runs 44 miles from Prentiss (about 20 miles east of Monticello) to Hattiesburg in Southwest Mississippi. It is open year-round to walking, biking and horseback riding. There are stations with parking and restrooms in Prentiss, Carson, Bassfield, Sumrall, and Hattiesburg. Several campgrounds offering various types of camping are adjacent to the Long Leaf Trace.
 * The Long Leaf Trace is a multi-use path, built on converted railroad track, that runs 44 miles from Prentiss (about 20 miles east of Monticello) to Hattiesburg in Southwest Mississippi. It is open year-round to walking, biking and horseback riding. There are stations with parking and restrooms in Prentiss, Carson, Bassfield, Sumrall, and Hattiesburg. Several campgrounds offering various types of camping are adjacent to the Long Leaf Trace.