The Waybe County Courthouse is located at 55 N. Main St., Ste. 103, Monticello, KY 42633; phone 606-348-4241.
TOWNS
Originally carved from parts of adjacent Pulaski and Cumberland Counties, Wayne County l[†] ies at the south-central Kentucky crossroads of the Appalachian Coalfields, Bluegrass, and Pennyrile regions, with its southernmost boundary nestled against Tennessee. The county keeps time in both the eastern and central time zones. While considered part of Appalachia, the terrain is less mountainous than many other parts of the Region. The gently rolling land lends itself to farming soybeans and corn and raising cattle. Lake Cumberland is Wayne County’s largest tourism draw, and at one time the area nurtured a vibrant luxury houseboat construction industry, until it collapsed during an economic downturn.
The county is named for General “Mad” Anthony Wayne, a hero of the American Revolution and the Northwest Indian War. Monticello, the county seat, conveys its military history in monuments at the local courthouse; in the World War I “Doughboy” statue at the intersection of Main and Columbia Streets dedicated to 23 Wayne residents who died in service to their country; and in the old Hotel Breeding, now a museum filled with curated Civil War military memorabilia.
Monticello is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has strong architectural bones. The F&H Pharmacy, an old-fashioned store featuring a lunch counter, convenience items, and a pharmacy, is the heart of the downtown. The town is quiet, with few people on the tidy sidewalks.
People here sometimes struggle for the necessities of life. In fact, more than 26 percent of residents live in poverty. Yet Wayne County is among the ten percent of Appalachian counties—and one of nine counties in Appalachian Kentucky—identified as a Bright Spot, performing better than expected across 16 of 19 health outcome measures explored in this study. For example, Wayne County performed better than expected on the following measures:
† Exploring Bright Spots in Appalachian Health: Case Studies | Wayne County, Kentucky. 2017, 2021, www.arc.gov, accessed November, 2024.