The town of Monroeville, Alabama, is Harper Lee’s childhood home and is widely understood to be the basis for “Maycomb”, where the Finches make their home. Monroeville, located in southwest Alabama, is the county seat of Monroe County. The population of Monroeville in 2000 was 6,862. Approximately 30,000 tourists visit yearly. There are 28 churches. Monroeville is often called the “literary capital of Alabama,” being the home of both Lee and the summer home of Truman Capote. Each May, locals put on an amateur production of Mockingbird, partially staged in the courtroom, which served as the model for the film set. Shows regularly sell out.
Links:
Monroe County Heritage Museum: A local museum
National Geographic: Feature on Monroeville and its longstanding relationship with the novel
Southern Literary Trail: The effect of Monroeville on Harper Lee and Truman Capote
