Taylorsville was established on The Gulf and Ship Island Railroad in 1900. The site was selected by an employee of the railroad, and soon after a post office was built. The post office was originally located about five miles away in Old Taylorsville (now a community located off of Mississippi Highway 531), but was later moved to New Taylorsville. Mrs. Dorrence Eaton, a local resident and historian, shared her knowledge of Taylorsville history with the Taylorsville Signal: “Around 1898 a road was built from Jackson to Gulfport and a branch road was built to Laurel. That’s when a town was established and called “Bullace”. The town changed names several times, then the post office was brought from Old Taylorsville to the new town, and the old town was referred to as Old Taylorsville.”
The road that Mrs. Eaton was referring to would later become U.S. Highway 49, and the branch road would later become Mississippi Highway 20. Highway 20 would later be renumbered to be Mississippi 28 after the construction of Interstate 20. It was the moving of the post office to New Taylorsville that established the present location of the town.
The road that Mrs. Eaton was referring to would later become U.S. Highway 49, and the branch road would later become Mississippi Highway 20. Highway 20 would later be renumbered to be Mississippi 28 after the construction of Interstate 20. It was the moving of the post office to New Taylorsville that established the present location of the town.
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Soon after the post office was moved, the Old Stringer Hotel was built, and was later burned down in an arson fire in 1946. The town of Taylorsville was founded as a result of the extensive pine forests that grow in Smith County and the surrounding areas. As lumber was a very plentiful resource, new businesses and homes both were rapidly built. Today, the lumber industry is a vital part of the town’s economy, with Georgia Pacific having two lumber processing plants and one chemical plant (Plywood and Chemical Divisions in West Taylorsville, and the Paper Division in East Taylorsville) in the city.
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Today, Taylorsville is a bustling small town full of life. We have several major companies that have major branches (or are even headquartered) in Taylorsville, and we have several stores, boutiques, restaurants, and gas stations. We even have a junior college vocational training facility run by Jones County Junior College.
As of the census of 2010, there are 1,353 people, 534 households, and 375 families residing in Taylorsville. The population density is 364.3 people per square mile. There are 598 housing units at an average density of 162.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town is around 81.58% White, 17.75% African American, 0.37% from other races, and 0.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race are about 0.37% of the population.
As of the census of 2010, there are 1,353 people, 534 households, and 375 families residing in Taylorsville. The population density is 364.3 people per square mile. There are 598 housing units at an average density of 162.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town is around 81.58% White, 17.75% African American, 0.37% from other races, and 0.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race are about 0.37% of the population.