In 1816, the population of the Mississippi Territory was approximately 47,000.  In 1817, President James Madison signed the Enabling Act that outlined Mississippi’s admittance into the Union.  The act split the territory into Alabama and Mississippi.  Counties in the eastern section, such as Jackson, Pike, Lawrence, Marion, Wayne, and Green, were unhappy about being separated from Mobile, but after much debate, on December 10, 1817, Mississippi became the twentieth state in the Union under President James Monroe.    In 1820, General Andrew Jackson negotiated and signed a treaty at Doak’s Stand with Chief Pushmataha and the Choctaws in which the United States acquired 5.5 million acres of land in central Mississippi.  On January 29, 1828, Madison County was created from these lands ceded by the Choctaw.  The lands that ultimately became Madison County in 1828 were originally part of Hinds County.  Following a couple of initial log cabins acting as judicial centers in other locations, the Town of Livingston was selected as Madison’s County Seat.  Livingston, established in 1824, was a community founded in part because of local springs in the region.  During this time, most towns were situated on navigable rivers or existing roads in order to take advantage of the travel/trade routes.  Livingston Springs, however, offered an advantage to the settlers in the region besides the usual location consideration.  The springs would provide water to sustain development.

It’s been almost 200 years since the original brick courthouse was built at Livingston.  Most remnants are gone, except the ancient cedar trees that encompassed the court square…and the beautiful pen drawn masterplan drawing from 1829 housed at the MS Dept of Archives & History.   In 2009, our firm helped discover, uncover and document much of the place’s history… and developed design concepts for the rebirth of the old Town … to become a new Hamlet.