Laurel
Designated Community since 2008
Laurel Main Street
Caroline Burks, Director
Contact Information
542 Central Ave, Suite 1
P.O. Box 1256 (39441)
Laurel, MS 39440
Phone 1: 601.433.3255
Mission Statement
The purpose of Laurel Main Street is to establish a vibrant commercial district in and around Downtown Laurel, enhance our community and heritage, foster a center of activity and ensure economic stability for the heart of Laurel, Mississippi through concentrated efforts of design, promotion, organization and economic revitalization.
About Laurel
Eastman-Gardiner Lumber Company, owned by Lauren Chase Eastman and George and Silas Gardiner, came to Laurel from Clinton, Iowa, and opened their first lumber mill in Laurel in 1893, utilizing the latest technology and labor saving devices. With miles upon miles of virgin yellow pine available, the lumber industry flourished in Jones County and the surrounding area, and three additional sawmills came to Laurel from 1906 to 1914. By the 1920s, Laurel became known as the Yellow Pine Capital of the World. The timber era in Laurel declined with the Great Depression, and all the large sawmills ceased operations in the 1930s. Today, major employers include Howard Industries, Sanderson Farms, Masonite International, Family Health Center, Howse Implement, Thermo-Kool, and South Central Regional Medical Center. Laurel is home to the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Mississippi's oldest art museum, established by the family of Lauren Eastman Rogers.
Annual Events
- Chili Cook Off
- Laurel Leap Day
- Touch a Truck
- Wine Down Downtown
- Crawfest
- Downtown Thursday
- Loblolly Festival
