MONTICELLO, FL (WTXL) -- The WTXL "Road Trip" series continues in Jefferson County with a look at Monticello's main streets.
The city's downtown area features historic landmarks and newer businesses that are thrilled with their location.
Jefferson County, also known as the "Keystone County," is a region with a small-town feel and a rich history -- and at the heart of it all, Monticello -- a national Main Street community.
If you head to downtown Monticello, you're probably going to spot the Jefferson County Courthouse, which sits smack-dab in the heart of the city -- where Jefferson and Washington streets intersect.
Commuters pass by that roundabout every day, heading to Tallahassee or South Georgia. Locals and business owners realize this location is a welcome one for tourists and for residents.
It's a small downtown district packed with variety and a personal charm that makes the county's only incorporated city worth the visit.
Monticello is synonymous with memories. No matter where you turn downtown, signs and buildings show off the area's history.
Anne Holt is the executive director of the organization Main Street Monticello.
"It's an old-fashioned town," Holt said. "It's truly small, and the people care a lot about it."
People like Jack Carswell grew up here, left for several years and came back.
"Monticello is a window towards our heritage," he said. "It lets us know what we were like and what our aspirations were."
You don't have to go very far to see what he's talking about. On Jefferson and Pearl streets, the Wirick-Simmons house is listed in the U.S. National Register of Historical Places.
It's also been considered a "haunted house" of sorts, bringing the likes of Anderson Cooper to check out the town's spooky ghost tours.
Also along Jefferson Street, you'll find a mix of older and newer stores.
Traditions is an embroidery and screen-printing shop that moved downtown two years ago.
"We get a lot of foot traffic through here," said owner Michele Arceneaux. "We also have a lot of people traveling on Highway 19, which runs through Georgia and Florida, so we get a lot of thru-traffic. We've had guests here from Canada, Ireland, Germany, and all over the United States."
Traditions has seen its business triple since moving downtown, and neighboring store Two Sisters, New Beginnings says the charm of Main Street is a big reason why.
"They'll see the shops, or they'll see the restaurants and want to stop, because it's such an inviting little place, and everybody here is extremely friendly," said owner Sandra Hood. "It's just a fun place to be and a fun place to have a shop."
Heading to Washington Street, you'll find even more to check out.
The Monticello Opera House has been a landmark here for more than a century. The building serves as a theater and popular venue for local events.
"We do a lot of weddings here, a lot of local anniversaries and banquets," said executive director Javier Betancourt. "Everyone kind of has a memory of being in the opera house."
And further down the road is a local food favorite.
"Tupelo's...is famous all around the country. They make the best vegetarian quiche that anyone ever ate -- anywhere in the world," Holt said. "Heavenly. You have to get there around 11 o'clock in the morning -- or else it's gone."
Whether it be Washington or Jefferson Street, Main Street Monticello could feed your appetite in more ways than one.
**Next, we take a closer look at the importance of watermelons in Jefferson County.**
