- Monroeville, Alabama
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Monroeville — City — Monroe County Courthouse in Monroeville
Location in Alabama.
MonroevilleCoordinates: 31°31′5″N 87°19′39″W / 31.51806°N 87.3275°W Country United States State Alabama County Monroe Area - Total 13.1 sq mi (33.8 km2) - Land 13.1 sq mi (33.8 km2) - Water 0 sq mi (0 km2) Elevation 413 ft (126 m) Population (2000) - Total 6,862 - Density 523.8/sq mi (203/km2) Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6) - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5) ZIP codes 36460-36462 Area code(s) 251 FIPS code 01-50192 GNIS feature ID 0152359 Monroeville is a city in Monroe County, Alabama, United States, the county seat of Monroe County.[1] At the 2000 census its population was 6,862. It is known as the home town of two prominent writers of the post World War II period, Truman Capote and Harper Lee, who were childhood friends in the 1930s. Lee's sole published work, To Kill A Mockingbird, earned her the Pulitzer prize. The lasting fame of To Kill a Mockingbird became a tourist draw for the town. In 1997 the Alabama Legislature designated Monroeville and Monroe County the "Literary Capital of Alabama."
Contents
Geography
Monroeville is located at 31°31′5″N 87°19′39″W / 31.51806°N 87.3275°W (31.518075, -87.327543).[2]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.1 square miles (34 km2), of which, 13.1 square miles (34 km2) of it is land and 0.08% is water.
Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 6,862 people, 2,687 households, and 1,870 families residing in the city. The population density was 525.8 people per square mile (203.0/km²). There were 3,016 housing units at an average density of 231.1 per square mile (89.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.09% White, 44.84% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. 0.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,687 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 18.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,229, and the median income for a family was $36,476. Males had a median income of $35,600 versus $20,184 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,070. About 20.4% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.0% of those under age 18 and 19.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Monroeville is home to Alabama Southern Community College. Alabama Southern is a state-supported, fully accredited, comprehensive two-year college serving southwest Alabama with its main campuses in Monroeville and Thomasville.
Literary fame
Author Harper Lee was born and raised in Monroeville. In her book To Kill a Mockingbird, the fictional town of Maycomb is modeled on her hometown. The novel received the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Truman Capote, a childhood neighbor and friend of Harper Lee, grew up in Monroeville. Capote acknowledged being the the inspiration for the book's character, Dill. Mark Childress, novelist, and Cynthia Tucker, syndicated columnist and winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, were also born in Monroeville.
As of 2006, an estimated 30,000 tourists visited Monroeville annually because of its association with To Kill a Mockingbird. Each May the Monroe County Heritage Museum stages an amateur play based on the book on the grounds of the courthouse. The interior of the courthouse was used as a reference for the film version of the book, and it is the venue for the later acts of the amateur production. The all-volunteer cast has been invited to perform in Washington, D.C., Kingston-upon-Hull, and Jerusalem.[4] In 1997 the Alabama Legislature designated Monroeville and Monroe County the "Literary Capital of Alabama."
Notable natives
- Truman Capote, author
- Mark Childress, novelist
- Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird
- Marie Rudisill, author and television personality
- Cynthia Tucker, syndicated columnist
- Redd Velvet, singer, songwriter, social activist
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Cathy Newman, "To Catch a Mockingbird," National Geographic, January 2006. http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0601/feature8/
- Newman, Cathy. "To Catch A Mockingbird", National Geographic, January 2006. Accessed July 8, 2007.
External links
- Official City Website
- Monroeville/Monroe County Economic Development Authority
- Monroeville Chamber of Commerce
- Monroe County Heritage Museums
- Monroeville on The Southern Literary Trail
- Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance
Coordinates: 31°31′05″N 87°19′39″W / 31.518075°N 87.327543°W
Municipalities and communities of Monroe County, Alabama County seat: MonroevilleCity Monroeville
Towns Beatrice | Excel | Frisco City | Vredenburgh
Unincorporated
communitiesBuena Vista | Burnt Corn | Franklin | Perdue Hill | Peterman | Scratch Ankle | Tunnel Springs | Uriah | Wainwright
Ghost town Categories:- Cities in Alabama
- Populated places in Monroe County, Alabama
- County seats in Alabama
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