Monticello Commercial Historic District

Located in downtown Monticello (Drew County), the Monticello Commercial Historic District includes numerous structures that represent the growth of the town from 1890 to the 1950s. The district included a total of thirty-one buildings when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 23, 2011.

Incorporated in 1852, Monticello grew steadily over the decades as various agricultural enterprises began operating in surrounding Drew County. The population of the community increased after the arrival of rail service in the early 1880s, and the town became the center of commerce and the timber industry for much of southeastern Arkansas. The downtown area included many commercial buildings constructed to provide various services to the residents and make up the bulk of the structures included in the district.

The exact dates of construction of many of the buildings are unknown, but various resources including Sanborn Fire Maps provide date ranges. The district includes an open public square where the original courthouse stood. The downtown area grew around that location. The current courthouse, separately listed on the National Register, is located outside the boundaries of the district.

Several buildings are separately listed on the National Register and are included in the district. These include the U.S. Post Office located at 211 West Gaines Street and the Ridgeway Hotel, the tallest building in the district at five stories.

The oldest building in the district is located at 113 West Gaines. A two-story building with Italianate details constructed in 1890, it has a front façade roof supported by brackets, while the side façade steps down away from the front. Located at 103 West Gaines, another circa 1890 building also includes numerous Italianate details. These are the two survivors of the seven Italianate buildings that stood on Gaines Street in the early twentieth century.

Several contributing buildings in the district date from approximately 1900. These include the building at 300–304 North Main Street, a single-story building with three storefronts. It includes detailed brickwork at the top with angled panels and corbel tabling on the front. The roofline on the side of the building steps down toward the rear of the structure as the roof slopes down. The buildings at 202 and 204 North Main Street rest in the midst of several buildings with Italianate details constructed around 1900, although the two are the only contributing structures. The structure at 202 North Main is a two-story building with four large windows located on the second floor and two brick cornices. The building at 204 North Main is quite similar, with four large windows located on the second floor and with two brick cornices. The entire block is fronted by a modern shed roof covering the sidewalk and supported by cast-iron posts.

One of the newest structures included in the district is the Drew Theater, located at the corner of S. Chester and S. Railroad. The single-story brick building is fronted by a single ticket booth and a marquee that extends over the sidewalk. After the building ceased operations as a theater, a church utilized it for a period.

The Monticello Commercial Historic District is a good example of a small Southern town business area that while no longer in its heyday, continues to include various vendors that offer services to area residents.

For additional information:
DeArmond, Rebecca. Old Times Not Forgotten: A History of Drew County. Little Rock: Rose Publishing Company, 1980.

“Monticello Commercial Historic District.” National Register of Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/national-registry/dr0371-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=fdfff682_0 (accessed July 25, 2024).

David Sesser
Southeastern Louisiana University