Home of the famous blues guitarist and singer, Robert Johnson and the setting for Beth Henley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Crimes of the Heart. The City of Hazlehurst is one of the oldest cities in Mississippi, founded in 1865 by George Hazlehurst, the chief engineer of the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad. Remnants of the city's age are evidenced by its paved brick streets and its stately old houses that date back to the mid 1800’s. The setting for this Old Deep South community is a beautifully timbered landscape of pine, pecans, and oaks with lightly rolling hills and plentiful ponds and lakes—a sportsman's paradise. The atmosphere is slow and easy. Hazlehurst is one of those places where you can give someone your telephone number in four digits, where going to church on Sunday is a highlight, where the family still comes first, and where there is little fear of serious crime. The town has heart. It is known throughout the region for the training it gives to the blind. As the seat of Copiah County, Hazlehurst is a center of economic and political activity. In this role, the city is reputed for harmoniously bringing together a diverse group of people whose mutual intent is the betterment of the community. This website reflects these goals and standards. |