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A−History
History · Monroe

Monroe dates to 1818, and 12% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 84% of U.S. towns · #22 of 263 in Georgia. What drives it

18 places in town are on the National Register, among them nine historic districts with 441 buildings between them. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1870.

1818founded
18on the National Register
12%homes built before 1940
5old photos & papers
13famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Monroe’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Monroe began

When was Monroe founded?

1818

Monroe dates its founding to 1818 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 438 in 18702020 census: 14,928208 years

How historic is Monroe?

A−

More historic than 84% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1821.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Monroe’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Monroe is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #22 of 263 in Georgia. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Monroe’s overall grade.
Founding era1818, from Wikipedia: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194011.5% of homes (±4.5) · typical GA town 3.8% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register18 listings, 455 historic buildings, 291 per 10,000 residents · typical GA town 10.0 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 84%
NewerOlder
Georgia towns of 2,500+ (263)Ahead of 92%

Georgia towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Georgia town has 10.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Monroe’s 291 sits above most of its state (83% of Georgia towns have fewer) while its 455 historic buildings outnumber those of 97% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.5 points). Two sources give 1818.

Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Monroe’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Monroe and Walton Mills Historic District takes in 236 historic buildings.Landmarks on the Register18 places on the National Register.Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1888 to 1916, drew every building in Monroe.Deep rootsEstablished in 1818: 208 years of Monroe.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

18 listings protect 455 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
18
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
455
each building in a district counts
first listed
1973
Davis-Edwards House
McDaniel-Tichenor HouseWalton County Courthouse, built 1883Monroe City Hall, built 1939Monroe Commercial Historic DistrictWalton County JailWilliamson HouseDavis-Edwards HouseWalton HotelA.J. Boss HouseEast Church Street Historic DistrictEast Marable Street Historic DistrictMcDaniel Street Historic DistrictMonland Place Historic DistrictMonroe and Walton Mills Historic DistrictNorth Broad Street Historic DistrictSouth Broad Street Historic DistrictSouth Madison Avenue-Pannell Road Historic DistrictTom Chick House, built 1907
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Victorian8
Bungalow6
Neo-Classical3
Italianate2
Greek Revival2
Neoclassical1
McDaniel-Tichenor HouseItalianate
Walton County CourthouseSecond Empire · Built 1883
Monroe City HallArt Deco · Built 1939
Monroe Commercial Historic DistrictDistrict
Walton County JailRomanesque
Williamson HouseBungalow
All 18 listings
Davis-Edwards HouseBuilding · listed 1973Walton HotelBuilding · listed 1982A.J. Boss HouseBuilding · listed 1983East Church Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983East Marable Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983McDaniel Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983Monland Place Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983Monroe and Walton Mills Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983North Broad Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983South Broad Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983South Madison Avenue-Pannell Road Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983Tom Chick HouseBuilding · listed 1983

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Every building

Monroe, building by building, 1888–1916

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Monroe fire insurance map, 1888, sheet 11888Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story

How Monroe came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Monroe.

Read it all →

Monroe was founded in 1818 as seat of the newly formed Walton County. It was incorporated as a town in 1821 and as a city in 1896. It is named after James Monroe.

Monroe was a major cotton producer in the state during the 1900s. The two main cotton mills in Monroe used to be the driving economic force in the region. Now the mills no longer produce for the cotton industry, but rather serve as economic engines for the region by housing antique markets, event space, and other unique retail.

In July 1946, the area was the site of the last mass lynching in the United States. A White mob attacked and killed two Black married couples who were driving through the area. The four people were pulled from their car and shot several times.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Monroe, 1818 to 1994

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1818
    FoundingMonroe is established
  3. 1821Post officeThe Monroe post office opens
  4. 1824Born hereAlfred H. Colquitt is born here
  5. 1883BuiltWalton County Courthouse is built
  6. 20th century
  7. 1907BuiltTom Chick House is built
  8. 1936In the archiveHistoric American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Aug. 12, 1936 FRONT DOORWAY…
  9. 1939BuiltMonroe City Hall is built
  10. 1953Born hereFrances Conroy is born here
  11. 1964On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  12. 1981In the archiveDavis House, 238 North Broad Street, Monroe (Walton County, Georgia)
  13. 1983Born hereBrandon Moss is born here
  14. 1994Born hereJavianne Oliver is born here
By decade

Monroe, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1930s to the 1980s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1930s4 items
Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Aug. 12, 1936 FRONT DOORWAY - Birscoe-Selman House1936Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Phot…Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Aug. 12, 1936 GENERAL VIEW OF EXTERIOR - Davis House, 238…1936Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Phot…Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Aug. 12, 1936 MANTEL IN PARLOUR - Birscoe-Selman House, M…1936Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Phot…Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Aug. 12, 1936 VIEW OF SOUTHEAST CORNER UNDER PORTICO - Bi…1936Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Phot…
1940s–1970snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
1980s1 item
Davis House, 238 North Broad Street, Monroe (Walton County, Georgia)1981Davis House, 238 North Broad Street, Monroe (Walton C…
1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today10 recent
Monroe Mills2013Monroe MillsMonroe homes2012Monroe homesMonroe downtown2012Monroe downtownHistoric downtown2012Historic downtownGeorge walton academy entrance2012George walton academy entranceEmmanuel praise church2012Emmanuel praise churchDowntown2012DowntownAngel food ministries2012Angel food ministriesWalters Motor Court on U.S. Highway 782011Walters Motor Court on U.S. Highway 78GAMap-doton-Monroe2005GAMap-doton-Monroe
On the map

Monroe on the map, 1964 to 1985

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Monroe. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Monroe on the 1964 USGS mapMonroe on the 1972 USGS mapMonroe on the 1985 USGS map1964Monroe sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Monroe.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Aug. 12, 1936 FRONT DOORWAY - Birscoe-Selman House
Retake this viewHistoric American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Aug. 12, 1936 FRONT DOORWAY - Birscoe-Selman House, 1936

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Monroe’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Monroe, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00014,00016,0001880190019201940196019802000202014,928

Grew from 438 people in 1870 to 14,928 in 2020, more than tenfold.

16 censuses, 1870–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Monroe’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

13 famous people were born in Monroe

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Frances ConroyAmerican actress · b. 1953
Alfred H. ColquittConfederate Army general · b. 1824
Javianne OliverAmerican female track and field sprinter · b. 1994
Brandon MossAmerican baseball player · b. 1983
P
Patricia RobertsOlympic medalist in basketball · b. 1955
Clifford WalkerAmerican politician · b. 1877
Places that used to be

Places now gone and burying grounds

Monroe’s post office has been open since 1821.

Gone or out of use
First Methodist Episcopal Church SouthchurchJohnston Institute Grade SchoolschoolSaint Stephens Methodist Churchchurch
5cemeteries and burying grounds inside Monroe
EastviewEverett FamilyMemorialRest HavenWalker

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Monroe’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewHistoric American Buildings Survey L. D…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Monroe’s history

What year was Monroe founded?

In 1818, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Monroe’s post office opened in 1821, and the census of 1870 counted 438 people here.

How does Monroe rank for history?

Monroe is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #22 of 263 in Georgia. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Monroe?

18 listings: 9 buildings, among them the Davis-Edwards House (listed 1973, the first), and 9 historic districts with 441 contributing buildings. 455 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Monroe?

12% of Monroe’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.5 points), against a typical 3.8% for a Georgia town; the median home was built in 1979.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (15), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (18), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.