MONTICELLO'S OLDEST HOUSES

by John Harvey

A recent question and a phone call have brought about some information about our town and county. The question was about the oldest house in Monticello

According to records, the oldest standing house in town in the Hitchcock-Roberts house which stands behind the City Hall. Records are unclear but the house was built before 1817. The second oldest house still standing would probably be the old Eli Glover house at the forks of Eatonton and Hillsboro Street. This house is due to be torn down in the next year.

The first house that was built in Monticello, according to some sources, stood on the lot between the Kelly-Murphy house and the Hurd-Edwards house on West Washington Street. The story is that William Hurd tore it down in the 1850's when he built his home. The Hurds were from Connecticut and left Monticello to return to Connecticut at the beginning of the Civil War.

The little house is said to have been built by Robert Minter, an early settler in the county. Mr. Minter swapped it for another log cabin in the Bethel community said to be one of the oldest building in the county. Other buildings that claim "oldest" honors are the log cabin in the Calvin community and the old Andrew Thomason cabin in Bethel community.

Additional Comments:
Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) April 2005, from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr.
John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's and 1980's time frame. Some were under the title "Jasper Reflections", others "Bicentennial Bits".
Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles.

Copies of articles provided by Benny Hawthorne.