Editing Monroeville, Alabama

{{short description|City in Alabama, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Monroeville
|settlement_type          = [[List of municipalities in Alabama|City]]
|image_skyline            = Historic buildings in Monroeville, Alabama LCCN2010639931.jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = Historic buildings in Downtown Monroeville
|image_flag               = Flag of Monroeville, Alabama.png
|image_seal               = Seal of Monroeville, Alabama.png
|nickname                 = The Literary Capital of Alabama
|motto                    = "Moving the Past Forward"
|image_map                = File:Monroe County Alabama Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Monroeville Highlighted 0150192.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Monroeville in Monroe County, Alabama.
|coordinates              = {{coord|31|31|5|N|87|19|39|W|region:US-AL|display=inline,title}}
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = [[United States]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Alabama|County]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Alabama]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Monroe County, Alabama|Monroe]]
|established_date         = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 34.61
|area_total_sq_mi         = 13.36
|area_land_km2            = 34.59
|area_land_sq_mi          = 13.35
|area_water_km2           = 0.02
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01
|elevation_m              = 126
|elevation_ft             = 413
|population_total         = 5951
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_density_km2   = 172.06
|population_density_sq_mi = 445.63
|population_metro         = 
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code              = 36460–36462
|area_codes                = [[Area code 251|251]]
| unemployment_rate = 
|website                  = {{URL|https://www.monroevilleal.gov/}}
|footnotes                = 
|timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 01-50192
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0152359
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
|unit_pref = Imperial
|area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_01.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
}}

'''Monroeville''' is the [[county seat]] of [[Monroe County, Alabama]], [[United States]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> At the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] its population was 5,951.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0150192| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212161257/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0150192| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Monroeville city, Alabama| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=February 1, 2013}}</ref>

Several notable writers were born in Monroeville.

==History==
Occupied for thousands of years by indigenous peoples, this area was ceded by the historic tribe to the U.S. government in the 1830s and the era of [[Indian Removal]].

The town was first known as Walker's Mill and Store, named for Major Walker, the area's first European-American settler. In 1832, the legislature relocated the county seat to Monroeville from [[Claiborne, Alabama|Claiborne]] on the [[Alabama River]]. The settlement was briefly renamed "Centerville" due to its location in the center of the county, and then was formally changed to Monroeville. The town was not formally incorporated until April 15, 1899.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2162|title=Monroeville - Encyclopedia of Alabama|website=Encyclopedia of Alabama|access-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|34.7|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|34.6|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.02|sqkm|order=flip}}, or 0.05%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

Almost all of the urban area lies on [[Bama (soil)|Bama]] fine sandy loam. Less developed areas around town are mostly on Saffell gravelly sandy loam or Flomaton gravelly loamy sand.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/|title=SoilWeb: An Online Soil Survey Browser - California Soil Resource Lab|website=casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu|access-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1880= 122
|1900= 422
|1910= 616
|1920= 1017
|1930= 1355
|1940= 1724
|1950= 2772
|1960= 3632
|1970= 4846
|1980= 5674
|1990= 6993
|2000= 6862
|2010= 6519
|2020= 5951
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref><br>2013 Estimate<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2013/SUB-EST2013-3.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013|access-date=June 3, 2014}}</ref>
}}

At the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]] there were 6,862 people, 2,687 households, and 1,870 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|525.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 3,016 housing units at an average density of {{convert|231.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2000 census|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.<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
Of the 2,687 households 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 households were one person and 11.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.04.

The age distribution was 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% 65 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 household income was $28,229 and the median family income  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.

===2010 census===
At the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]] there were 6,519 people, 2,656 households, and 1,723 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|488|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 3,056 housing units at an average density of {{convert|228.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2010 census|racial makeup]] of the city was 55.7% White, 42.1% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 0.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref name="2010 census">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=August 5, 2015|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
Of the 2,656 households 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples living together, 21.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 30.5% of households were one person and 12.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.95.

The age distribution was 24.6% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% 65 or older. The median age was 40.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.

The median household income was $31,593 and the median family income  was $49,548. Males had a median income of $41,324 versus $31,033 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,553. About 23.3% of families and 27.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 37.3% of those under age 18 and 19.0% of those age 65 or over today.

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Monroeville Racial Composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US0150192&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 8, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]]
|2,146
|36.06%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]]
|3,530
|59.32%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|25
|0.42%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|46
|0.77%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|142
|2.39%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|62
|1.04%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 5,951 people, 2,106 households, and 1,259 families residing in the city.

==Education==
Monroeville was formerly home of Alabama Southern Community College, which has been consolidated with the former Jefferson Davis Community College in Brewton and Faulkner Community College headquartered in Bay Minette, Alabama. It is no longer the administrative center, but now has a branch campus of [[Coastal Alabama Community College]], a state-supported, fully accredited, comprehensive two-year college serving southwest Alabama. Its main campus and administrative offices are in Bay Minette.

There is one school district in the county: [[Monroe County School District (Alabama)|Monroe County School District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st01_al/schooldistrict_maps/c01099_monroe/DC20SD_C01099.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Monroe County, AL|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-10-09}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st01_al/schooldistrict_maps/c01099_monroe/DC20SD_C01099_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>

==Arts and culture==
===Literary fame===
[[File:Old Monroe County Courthouse, Alabama.jpg|thumb|Old [[Monroe County, Alabama|Monroe County]] Courthouse, the model for the courthouse used in the 1962 film ''[[To Kill a Mockingbird (film)|To Kill a Mockingbird]]'']]
Author [[Harper Lee]] was born and raised in Monroeville. Her 1960 novel ''[[To Kill a Mockingbird]]'', which received the 1961 [[Pulitzer Prize for Fiction]],<ref>Shields, pp. 199–200.</ref> explored the fictional town of Maycomb, inspired by her hometown.<ref name=Smithsonian>[[Paul Theroux|Theroux, Paul]]. [http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/whats-changed-what-hasnt-in-town-inspired-to-kill-a-mockingbird-180955741/ "What's Changed, and What Hasn't, in the Town That Inspired ''To Kill a Mockingbird''"], ''[[Smithsonian (magazine)]]'', July 2015. Accessed May 7, 2017. "Lee's Maycomb, indelibly evoked in the novel that sells a million copies annually, endures in the small-town reality of Monroeville.... The town boasts that it has produced two celebrated writers, who grew up as neighbors and friends, Truman Capote and Harper Lee. Their homes no longer stand, but other landmarks persist, those of Maycomb, the fictional setting of ''To Kill A Mockingbird.''"</ref> Her other novel, ''[[Go Set a Watchman]]'', is also set in Maycomb. [[Truman Capote]], best known for his novella ''[[Breakfast at Tiffany's (novella)|Breakfast at Tiffany's]]'' and his non-fiction novel ''[[In Cold Blood]]'', spent part of his childhood in Monroeville. Lee and Capote were neighbors and remained close friends into adulthood. Capote's early novels, including ''[[Other Voices, Other Rooms (novel)|Other Voices, Other Rooms]]'' and ''[[The Grass Harp]]'', draw heavily on his childhood in Monroeville. Capote has acknowledged being the inspiration for the character of Dill in ''To Kill a Mockingbird'', while Lee in turn was the inspiration for the character of Idabel in ''Other Voices, Other Rooms''.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|title = Truman Capote|encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of World Biography|year = 2003|access-date = June 29, 2015|url = http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ca-Ch/Capote-Truman.html|publisher = Advameg, Inc.}}</ref>

Novelist [[Mark Childress]] and [[Cynthia Tucker (journalist)|Cynthia Tucker]], syndicated [[columnist]] and winner of the 2007 [[Pulitzer Prize for Commentary]], were also born in Monroeville.

Monroeville also features in NYTimes best-selling book, ''[[Just Mercy (book)|Just Mercy]],'' by [[Bryan Stevenson]]. Stevenson points out the irony of [[Walter McMillian]] being wrongfully convicted of murder in Monroeville, Harper Lee's hometown.

===Annual cultural events===
As of 2006, an estimated 30,000 tourists visited Monroeville annually due to its association with the novel and adaptations of ''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 [[To Kill a Mockingbird (film)|film version]] of the book. It is the venue for the later amateur productions. The all-volunteer cast has been invited to perform in [[Washington, D.C.]], [[Kingston upon Hull]] and [[Jerusalem]].<ref>Cathy Newman [https://archive.today/20130129160058/http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0601/feature8/ "To Catch a Mockingbird"], ''National Geographic'', January 2006</ref> In 1997, the Alabama Legislature designated Monroeville and Monroe County the "Literary Capital of Alabama".<ref name="Literary Capital">{{cite web|url=http://discovermonroeville.com/literary-heritage|publisher=Discover Monroeville|access-date=May 7, 2017|title=discover literary heritage}}</ref>

===Television===
In the television show ''[[Private Practice (TV series)|Private Practice]]'', created and produced by [[Shonda Rhimes]], the fictional character [[Charlotte King]] was born in Monroeville.

==Notable people==
* [[Marsha Barbour]], first lady of the State of [[Mississippi]] from 2004 to 2012
* [[Chris Booker (baseball)|Chris Booker]], [[Major League Baseball]] player
* [[Truman Capote]], author<ref name=Smithsonian/>
* [[Mark Childress]], novelist 
* [[Marva Collins]], educator
* [[Amasa Coleman Lee]], lawyer and legislator
* [[Harper Lee]], author of ''[[To Kill a Mockingbird]]'' and ''[[Go Set a Watchman]]''<ref name=Smithsonian/>
* [[Walter McMillian]], exonerated and freed in 1993 after being sentenced to death in a wrongful conviction
* [[Allison Moorer]], folk singer
* [[Fannie E. Motley]], first African-American student to graduate from [[Spring Hill College]]
* [[Marie Rudisill]], author and television personality
* [[Bill Selby]], former [[Utility player#Baseball|utility player]] from {{mlby|1996}} to {{mlby|2003}} with the [[Boston Red Sox]], [[Cincinnati Reds]], and [[Cleveland Indians]]
* [[Cynthia Tucker (journalist)|Cynthia Tucker]], syndicated columnist who won the 2007 [[Pulitzer Prize for Commentary]]
* [[Tytus Howard]], current tackle for the [[Houston Texans]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
* Shields, Charles. ''Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee.'' Henry Holt and Co.: 2006. {{ISBN|0-8050-7919-X}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120314101746/http://www.cityofmonroeville.com/ City of Monroeville official website]
*[http://www.monroecountyal.com Monroeville Chamber of Commerce]

{{Monroe County, Alabama}}
{{Alabama county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Alabama]]
[[Category:Cities in Monroe County, Alabama]]
[[Category:County seats in Alabama]]