Mount Vernon, Alabama

Mount Vernon, Alabama
Town
Shotgun houses at Mount Vernon
Location in Mobile County, Alabama
Coordinates: 31°5′35″N88°0′40″W / 31.09306°N 88.01111°W / 31.09306; -88.01111
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Mobile
Area [1]
• Total	5.59 sq mi (14.49 km2)
• Land	5.48 sq mi (14.20 km2)
• Water	0.11 sq mi (0.29 km2)
Elevation	30 ft (9 m)
Population  (2020) [2]
• Total	1,354
• Density	247.04/sq mi (95.38/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	36560
Area code	251
FIPS code	01-52608
GNIS feature ID	0158031
Website	www.mtvernonal.com

Mount Vernon is a town in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Mobile metropolitan area. It incorporated in 1959. ^[3] At the 2020 census the population was 1,354. ^[2]

Geography

Mount Vernon is located in the northeast corner of Mobile County at 31°5′35″N88°0′40″W / 31.09306°N 88.01111°W / 31.09306; -88.01111 (31.093170, -88.011209). ^[4] U.S. Route 43 passes through the town to the west of its center. US 43 leads south 30 miles (48 km) to Mobile and north 36 miles (58 km) to Jackson.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.6 square miles (15 km²), of which 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²), or 2.02%, are water. ^[1] Cedar Creek, an east-flowing tributary of the Mobile River, passes through the southernmost part of the town. The Mobile River itself is 2 miles (3 km) to the east, with access from State Landing Road off Old Military Road.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1960	553		—
1970	1,079		95.1%
1980	1,038		−3.8%
1990	902		−13.1%
2000	844		−6.4%
2010	1,574		86.5%
2020	1,354		−14.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [5] 2013 Estimate [6]

2020 census

Mount Vernon racial composition ^[7]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	286	21.12%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	1,004	74.15%
Native American	21	1.55%
Pacific Islander	1	0.07%
Other/Mixed	33	2.44%
Hispanic or Latino	9	0.66%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,354 people, 457 households, and 336 families residing in the town.

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 1,574 people, 556 households, and 399 families in the town. The population density was 828.4 inhabitants per square mile (319.8/km²). There were 667 housing units at an average density of 351.1 per square mile (135.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 73.6% Black or African American, 23.4% White, 1.7% Native American, 0.1% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. 0.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. ^[8] Of the 556 households 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 21.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 25.4% of households were one person and 10.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.31.

The age distribution was 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 32.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% 65 or older. The median age was 42.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.9 males.

The median household income was $34,722 and the median family income was $46,111. Males had a median income of $41,250 versus $23,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,790. About 2.7% of families and 26.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 844 people, 333 households, and 228 families in the town. The population density was 446.4 inhabitants per square mile (172.4/km²). There were 395 housing units at an average density of 208.9 per square mile (80.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 45.38% White, 52.96% Black or African American, 0.95% Native American, 0.24% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. 0.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. ^[9] Of the 333 households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 30.0% of households were one person and 16.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.19.

The age distribution was 26.2% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males.

The median household income was $29,861 and the median family income was $36,786. Males had a median income of $30,347 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,551. About 19.8% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.9% of those under age 18 and 21.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The city is served by the Mobile County Public School System. Elementary and middle schoolers go to North Mobile County K-8 near Axis CDP. ^[10] High schoolers go on to Citronelle High School in Citronelle. ^{[11] [12]}

The city's sole public school was the E.T.Belsaw/Mt. Vernon School, which covered grades Kindergarten through 8. ^{[13] [14]} In 2006 it had 321 students. ^{[10] [15]} From 2010 to 2016 several extracurricular programs at the school were discontinued. It had 98 students in 2016. Gwendolyn Pugh, Mount Vernon Town Councilor, stated that the enrollment drop was due to the extracurricular programs being removed. ^[16] The county board voted to close the school in 2016. ^[15]

Historic areas in and around Mt. Vernon

Mount Vernon was home to a historic psychiatric hospital, Searcy Hospital, formerly the site of the Mount Vernon Arsenal. The hospital closed in 2012.

A land marker used for surveying land known as "Ellicott's Stone" lies 6 miles (10 km) south of the town to the east of US 43.

Notable people

• John Kimbrough, former National Football League wide receiver
• William Trent Rossell, Chief of Engineers of the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1913 and former Engineer Commissioner of the District of Columbia ^[17]

Gallery

Photographs taken in Mount Vernon as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey:

• 
  Cooper-Beasley House
• 
  L. B. Curry House
• 
  Indian Schoolhouse
• 
  Nelias Fall House

References

1. "2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
2. "Mount Vernon town, Alabama: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
3. "Mobile Press-Register 200th Anniversary: Annexations triple city; Mobile adds cultural icons, gallows retired (1950-1959)". June 26, 2013.
4. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
5. "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
6. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013" . Retrieved June 3, 2014.
7. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
8. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved August 4, 2015.
9. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
10. Idowu, Modupe (May 25, 2016). "Officials decide future of two schools: Mae Eanes Belsaw-Mount Vernon". NBC 15. Retrieved November 27, 2018. Mae Eanes will be merged with Williamson High School and Belsaw-Mount Vernon Elementary School will go to North Mobile K-8.
11. "Citronelle High School Attendance Zone Archived 2021-07-25 at the Wayback Machine ." Mobile County Public School System. Retrieved on November 27, 2018.
12. "2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Mount Vernon town, AL." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on November 28, 2018.
13. "Schools." Town of Mount Vernon. Retrieved on July 29, 2016.
14. A copy of the school's attendance boundary, as the file "Belsaw Mt. Vernon.pdf", is available from the Mobile County Public School System Student Support Services Department. This file was previously available online (see "Elementary Attendance Zone Maps(A-I)" "Belsaw Mt Vernon" but the link is broken)
15. Devoe, Emily (May 24, 2016). "Mobile County School Board Votes to Close Two Schools". WKRG . Retrieved November 27, 2018.
16. Johnson, Jason (May 25, 2016). "School board closes Mae Eanes, Belshaw-Mt. Vernon schools". Lagniappe Weekly . Retrieved November 27, 2018.
17. District of Columbia Police: A Retrospect of the Police Organizations of the Cities of Washington and Georgetown and the District of Columbia, with Biographical Sketches ... and Historic Cases. Pub. for the Benefit of the Policemen's Fund. Gibson Bros., printers. 1894. p. 174.

31°05′35″N88°00′40″W / 31.09317°N 88.011209°W / 31.09317; -88.011209