merrill building museum

Carrollton Historic Pilgrimage and Pioneer Day Festival October 7-8, 2016

CCDA2015 — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 14:30:09 +0000

Mississippi has many beautiful scenes in its landscape but few have as much to offer as Carroll County and Carrollton, in particular. It is centrally located in the middle of the state and is easily. It is only a “stone’s throw” off Highway 82, one of the state’s major highways. As you enter the town of Carrollton, you are instantly transported into an earlier historical era as you view the homes, businesses and churches. This town has a long and interesting history and we would like to share with you.

One of the primary means of doing this is during the yearly Pilgrimage when homes and churches open their doors for a weekend in October. This year the Pilgrimage dates are October 7-8. Four of the churches will be open with a hostess to greet you as you tour our places of worship. Some of the churches began before the Civil War and minutes offer interesting bits of history. A stroll through the business district leads you to the Merrill Museum which contains a number of clues to the history of the town as well as the county.

Wayside

The “crown jewel” of Carrollton lies in its homes which span over a century of architectural styles. The owners have maintained them in top order and look forward to showing you their homes. This year there will be 5 homes open, three of which have never been open for the Pilgrimage before. In addition, Cotesworth, the home of Senator J. Z. George, will be open. Senator George is an author of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890. On display in the home is the desk he used when writing this document.

On Saturday there will be vendors hawking their wares and selling food so you can maintain your energy to take it all in. Also there will be live entertainment throughout the day, our very own “Opry on the Square.” Now, what more could you ask for except to enjoy some of the nicest people in the state who will be glad to show you why we are proud of our hometown?

Comments provided by Barbara Rayburn, chairman of ticket sales. For more information about the Carrollton Pilgrimage and Pioneer Day Festival, visit our website – VisitCarrolltonMs.com or email us at CarrolltonMsTours@gmail.com.

Carrollton: Well Worth the Trip

CCDA2015 — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 00:29:27 +0000

Just a mile or so north of modern Highway 82 and a few miles west of Interstate 55, the small town of Carrollton is one of Mississippi’s most perfectly preserved 19th-century communities. So many of its homes, churches and public buildings were constructed before 1900 that it was the logical filming site for William Faulkner’s novel, The Reivers, set in 1904. When Hollywood came calling in 1968, searching for a town that could pass for turn-of-the-century Jefferson, they were astonished to find that all Carrollton needed was some dirt on the streets and a few downtown buildings tweaked. The town’s lone gas station disappeared behind a livery stable facade. Old signs were painted on a few storefronts. Add a few wagons and the star of the movie, a 1904 Winton Flyer, and time stood still.

In the half-century since the movie was made, not much has changed in Carrollton. Visitors still find its 1878 courthouse sitting on the town square, with exterior doors that are never locked. Church designs range from the Gothic Stick Style jewel that is Grace Episcopal to more formal classical buildings used by the Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist congregations. The 1870s jail survives, as does an entire block of mid-1800s storefronts on the south side of the square. Merrill’s Store, now a museum, dates back to the town’s 1830s origins. Winding residential roads are lined with antebellum showplaces and Victorian cottages, most in excellent condition and some handed down over multiple generations.

There are many historic towns in Mississippi where you can find the old interspersed with modern life. But only in Carrollton can you find a town that truly seems like it has been preserved in amber for more than a century. It’s well worth the trip.

Mary Carol Miller, author of Written in the Bricks: A Visual and Historical Tour of Fifteen Mississippi Hometowns

Welcome to Carroll County!

CCDA2015 — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 17:32:31 +0000

Carroll County is a beautiful place to visit. We hope you have a great time while you are here. If you need information, please feel free to call our Town Halls or the Courthouse. If you are looking for cemeteries, … Continue reading →