Monticello ( ) is the only city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Jefferson County, Florida
Jefferson County is a county located in the Big Bend region in the northern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,510. Its county seat is Monticello. Jefferson County is part of the Tallahassee, F ...
, United States. The city is named after
Monticello
Monticello ( ) was the primary residence and plantation of Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father, author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States. Jefferson began designing Monticello after inheriting l ...
, the estate of the county's namesake,
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
, on which the
Jefferson County Courthouse was modeled. The population was 2,589 at the 2020 census. It is part of the
Tallahassee metropolitan area.
Monticello is home to
Indian mound
Many pre-Columbian cultures in North America were collectively termed "Mound Builders", but the term has no formal meaning. It does not refer to specific people or archaeological culture but refers to the characteristic mound earthworks that in ...
s and many historic buildings, including the
Perkins Opera House and
Monticello Old Jail Museum.
History and culture
The
Perkins Opera House is a 19th-century mercantile building adapted for use as a theater. It regularly hosts musical performances and theater productions. The first-floor ballroom also holds receptions.
Howard Academy built in 1936 served African American students. It is on Mamie B. Scott Drive, named for
Mamie B. Scott. In 1960 a school for African American students was built in southeastern Monticello. It was later also named Howard Academy. Schools in Monticello integrated in 1967.
Old Howard Academy is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 2021.
Historic sites
*
Bethel School
*
Christ Episcopal Church
*
Denham-Lacy House
*
Jefferson County Courthouse (Florida)
*
Letchworth Mounds
*
Lyndhurst Plantation
*
Monticello High School (Florida)
*
Monticello Historic District
*
Monticello Old Jail Museum
*
Palmer House Palmer House may refer to:
In the United Kingdom
* Palmer House, Great Torrington, an 18th-century house in Devon
In the United States
Items in this section are alphabetized by state, then city.
* Palmer House (Blackton, Arkansas), listed on th ...
*
Palmer-Perkins House
*
Perkins Opera House
*
Wirick-Simmons House
Geography
Monticello is located in northern Jefferson County at .
U.S. Route 90 runs through the center of the city as Washington Street, leading east to
Greenville and west to
Tallahassee.
U.S. Route 19 passes through the city center on Jefferson Street, leading south to
Capps and north to
Thomasville, Georgia
Thomasville is the county seat of Thomas County, Georgia, United States. The population was 18,881 in 2020.
The city deems itself the "City of Roses" and holds an annual Rose Festival. The city features plantations open to the public, a histor ...
. The two highways meet in the center of Monticello at Courthouse Circle, which surrounds the
Jefferson County Courthouse. US-19 leads south from the courthouse to
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...
at Exit 225. I-10 leads west to Tallahassee and east to
Lake City.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , all land.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, the City of Monticello has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(''Cfa''). Monticello is the site of the highest temperature recorded in Florida, on June 29, 1931.
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 2,589 people, 1,120 households, and 711 families residing in the city.
In 2020, the median household income was $43,780. 27.3% of the population 25 years and older had a Bachelor's Degree or higher. There was a 49.2% employment rate. There were 1,323 housing units.
As of the
2010 United States census, there were 2,506 people, 770 households, and 559 families residing in the city.
Notable people
*
James Patton Anderson, commander of the
1st Florida Infantry Regiment during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, lived in Monticello.
*
Allen Boyd, politician
*
Ryal Long, state legislator during the
Reconstruction era
The Reconstruction era was a period in History of the United States, US history that followed the American Civil War (1861-65) and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the Abolitionism in the United States, abol ...
*
Bobby Thigpen,
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
relief pitcher, set record for most saves in a season (57) in 1990, a record which stood for 18 years
* Willie "Chicken" Thompson, celebrated mid-late 20th century
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
clubhouse manager and chef
[Kittle, Ron and Logan, Bob ''Tales from the Chicago White Sox Dugout: A Collection of the Greatest White Sox Stories Ever Told (Tales from the Team);'' Sports Publishing, May 1, 2018; ]
*
Jack Youngblood, professional football player
Education
Jefferson County Schools operates public schools, including
Jefferson County Middle / High School.
References
External links
City of Monticello official website
{{authority control
County seats in Florida
Cities in Jefferson County, Florida
Tallahassee metropolitan area
Cities in Florida