MONTICELLO, NY — Just as parents are faced with the task of naming their child, so were the founders of towns and villages across America centuries ago. 

And like parents, those who named places often followed current trends, while others wanted to honor a specific person. 

Some names roll off the tongue and others just seem odd—such as Burnt Corn, AL and other strange and even humorous town names.

So how did the name of Monticello, NY come to be?

Monticello was officially named and co-founded on December 7, 1804 by John Patterson Jones. A few months prior, he had built the first house in the area. Jones was instrumental in building the first turnpike road—the Newburgh Cochecton Turnpike—from the Hudson River to the Delaware River, which passed through the Monticello area.

Although there is no official documentation, it’s likely that Jones chose the name Monticello because it was a very popular name at the time. In 1804, when Monticello, NY was named, Thomas Jefferson was president and Monticello was his large estate in Charlottesville, VA.

As a side note, the “cello” in Jefferson’s Monticello was pronounced with a “ch,” as in the string instrument. 

You will also notice that the Sullivan County Courthouse in Monticello is designed to mirror the four-columned look of Jefferson’s Monticello.

Monticello means “small mountain” in Italian. And this was no coincidence. Jefferson had visited Italy and was inspired by ancient Roman architecture. So Jefferson was likely paying homage to Italy and its beautiful landscape and buildings—and Jones was probably paying homage to Jefferson. 

And he wasn’t alone. There are at least 14 villages and towns named Monticello in honor of Jefferson across America. 

Interestingly, Monticello is also known as the “Foothills of the Catskills,” which also implies “small mountain.”

What’s very interesting to me is that my father was born in 1904 in another Monticello—in Georgia. Monticello, GA was founded in 1808 during Jefferson’s second term. 

I have always been fascinated by the “other Monticellos” throughout the United States. Over the years, I have talked with many people who share my interest. I once received a letter from a resident of Monticello, KY, who found it very interesting that there was another Monticello so close to the Big Apple.

Do you have a connection to another Monticello? If so, I would love to hear about it!

Al Dumas is the town historian for the Town of Thompson. He can be reached by email at mapman1979@yahoo.com.