MONROE COUNTY, GA

County Offices
38 West Main Street
Forsyth 478-994-7000
http://www.monroecoga.org/

Chamber of Commerce
10 West Chambers Street
Forsyth 478-994-9239
https://www.forsyth-monroechamber.com/

The picturesque countryside of Monroe County features rich farmland, timber-related agribusiness, premier recreation areas, and friendly hometowns graced by historic architecture. Of the six counties that make up Central Georgia, Monroe claims the highest number of residents who are locally employed.

Services
First-rate educational opportunities are underlined by the Monroe County School System, committed to continuous improvement on every academic level. The system is constantly evaluating facilities for upgrades and expansions, including a new fine arts center, recreational facilities, and a new elementary school to meet a growing population. Monroe County High School provides a comprehensive curriculum that provides career training and skill sets for students and local residents. The opportunities for higher education are abundant within a reasonable commuting distance, although many students take advantage of the two institutions closest to home: the Monroe County Center of Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) and Gordon College. CGTC maintains full-service campuses in Milledgeville and Macon as well as a number of rural county centers, providing more than 200 programs of study in business technology, health technology, information technology, public services, trade and industrial, and technical fields.

Gordon College in Lamar County is one of the fastest-growing institutions within the University System of Georgia. This 200-acre residential college provides more than 60 programs of study for thousands of commuting and resident students. In addition to associate programs and certifications, the college provides a limited number of higher-level degrees including a nursing degree in conjunction with the Medical College of Georgia and a master’s degree in education through Georgia Southwestern State University.

Residents of rural Monroe County are fortunate to have a state-of-the-art hospital just beyond their front doorstep in Forsythe that provides general inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical care. For nearly a half a century, Monroe County Hospital has served the healthcare needs of its patients through a balance of advanced medicine and old-fashioned family values. In addition to a responsive emergency department with around-the-clock access, the hospital provides acute-care beds, surgery and endoscopy, skill nursing care, a full-service laboratory, advance imaging, and support groups. Skilled professionals in private practice are available to meet most routine needs quickly and conveniently.

Lifestyle
Newcomers to Monroe County will discover a panoramic countryside, outstanding recreation sites, and the preservation of family traditions and historic architecture in welcoming small communities. Among the colorful celebrations that dot the calendar, the most famous is the Forsythia Festival, a two-day extravaganza of arts and crafts displays, a children’s fair, competitive sporting events, live entertainment, a dance, and great homemade food. The festival is named for the brightly blooming Forsythia shrub that thrives in Middle Georgia, covered with lovely yellow star-shaped flowers each spring. Forsyth serves as the county seat and educational, healthcare, and commercial hub of the county. Founded in the 1800s, Forsyth stands as the gateway to Middle Georgia and a step back into a simpler time. The historic square has all the elegance of a Victorian Village blended with Southern hospitality, drawing residents and visitors alike to unique shopping and dining experiences. Retail sales are brisk in local contemporary shopping centers as well as at Macon Mall, just 25 miles from Forsyth.

The natural environment in and around Monroe County provides virtually unlimited outdoor enjoyment and adventure as well as historic significance. Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge is located just 18 miles east of Forsyth, one of 540 such refuges across the nation. The Jarrell Plantation State Historic Site, nestled in red clay hills, preserves a family home, a sawmill, cotton gin, gristmill, shingle mill, planer, sugar cane press, syrup evaporator, workshop, a barn, and outbuildings. High Falls State Park perches on the remains of a once-prosperous industrial town. Today, park visitors can enjoy the scenic waterfall on the Towaliga River, camp, picnic, canoe, and hike to the remaining grist mill foundation. The tiny town of Juliette is famous as the 1991 film location for “Fried Green Tomatoes,” drawing visitors to the undeveloped beauty of 3,600-acre Lake Juliette and the Old Mill Motorcycle Museum in the Old Juliette Grist Mill. Ocmulgee National Monument, “from ice age to space age,” is a memorial to the relationship of people and natural resources over more than 12,000 years of human habitation. Around every corner, Monroe County never fails to fascinate and delight.

COMMUNITY PROFILES

Culloden
Town Offices
478-885-2249
https://georgia.gov/cities-counties/culloden

Chamber of Commerce
478-994-9239
https://www.forsyth-monroechamber.com/

Distinguished as the oldest town in the county, Culloden was first settled in the 1700s and has always remained an agricultural community. One of the highlights of the town is the century-old Dickey Peach Farms, drawing regional visitors to its colorful stand at the corner of Highways 341 and 74. Other agribusiness enterprises include a nursery that is famous for its Christmas poinsettias and a wide range of landscape resources. Proud of its deep Scottish roots, this small town is developing a tourism industry based on historic preservation projects and unique events held at the city festival grounds like the Culloden Highland Games and the annual Homecoming Parade and Blues & Gospel Celebration. Homecoming calls back Culloden’s successful sons and daughters in a generational festival.  The town is fortunate to be a part of Georgia’s Peach Blossom Trail, which winds through Culloden along Highway 341.

Forsyth
City Offices
478-994-5649
https://www.cityofforsyth.net/

Chamber of Commerce
478-994-9239
https://www.forsyth-monroechamber.com/

The crown jewel of community life is the architecturally significant and historic city of Forsyth, which serves as the county seat of government and largest population center. Reverence for the past is evident in the Forsyth Commercial Historic District with its Victorian charm and unique shopping and dining experiences. The majestic Courthouse Square is surrounded by several blocks of homes and buildings that date back to the mid-to-late 1800s and many are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Other local highlights include a Confederate Cemetery and the Rum Creek Wildlife Management Area. The city welcomes throngs of visitors each spring when the brilliant yellow Forsythia blooms herald the annual Forsythia Festival. Forsyth provides modern shopping centers, convenient services, quality schools, the Monroe County Center for Central Georgia Technical College, and serene neighborhoods.