History
Late 1800s (likely 1880s–1890s)
The Build
The house was most likely constructed during the late nineteenth century, when Monticello was a prosperous agricultural town and county seat. Architectural descriptions of the home indicate it was built using heart pine lumber with mortise-and-tenon joinery, sources have shared the home may have been built from a kit.
The home features a central hallway plan with large rooms and tall ceilings, a style common in North Florida homes designed to allow airflow during hot summers.
At this time Monticello was thriving due to:
• cotton agriculture
• regional trade
• rail connections to Georgia and Tallahassee
Many of the town’s historic homes date from this same era.
1926
Fate and Ollie Jones purchase the home
The house officially became part of the Jones family story in 1926, when Fate and Ollie Jones bought the property.
They lived there with their children:
• Esther Jones
• Hugh Jones
• Fate Jones Jr.
The house would remain tied to the Jones family for many decades.
1930s–1950s
The house served as a family home during the mid-twentieth century as Monticello transitioned from a rural agricultural economy into a quieter small town.
Family memories describe the house as an active household filled with:
• children growing up
• extended family visits
• everyday life in Monticello
During this time Fate Jones was also connected to local businesses and community life.
Mid-20th Century
Candy Jones and the downtown candy store:
Charles Lafayette Jones, known locally as “Candy Jones,” operated a candy store on Cherry Street in downtown Monticello.
On Saturdays people came to town to shop, and candy stores like his served customers from across Jefferson County.
This connects the family and the house to Monticello’s downtown commercial life, which revolved around the courthouse square.
Later Jones Ownership
After many years in the house, another member of the family, Fate Jones and his wife Pearl, built a brick home on property south of the original house while still maintaining the Mulberry Street property.
A later descendant, Charlie Jones, continued to live in the house at times and occasionally rented it while maintaining the neighboring property.
Nearly a Century of Family Ownership
The house remained continuously owned by members of the Jones family from 1926 until it was eventually sold by a later descendant, Charles S. Jones.
That means the house was in one extended family for almost 100 years.
Early 2000s–2020s
Like many historic homes, the house experienced periods of limited maintenance but remained structurally sound due to its strong original construction.
Despite decades of use, reports noted that the home’s heart pine structure, brick piers, and framing remained remarkably solid.
Present Day
The house is now undergoing a careful restoration aimed at preserving its historic character while preparing it for a new chapter by its current owners Luce and Inga with Tinny of Form and Function Construction leading the construction
The renovation has focused on:
• preserving original materials where possible
• restoring structural integrity
• updating the home for modern living while respecting its historic design
What We Still Need to Discover
The original builder and earliest owner are still unknown.
Records from the Jefferson County Clerk of Court could reveal chain of title going back to the first owner and at this time the index is out of their office as documents prior to 2006 are currently being digitized.
Research in to the Sanborn Fire Maps (1880–1915) could show:
• exact house footprint
• construction material
• whether the house existed in a given year
1900–1920 Census Records could reveal who lived on Mulberry Street before the Jones family purchased the house.