Livingston Township and Chestnut Hill

David Landrum's Madison County developments called Livingston Township and Chestnut Hill continue to move forward.

Jackson Northside Sun - Project under development on site of Livingston community - AT A CROSSROADS between Flora and Canton, little proof remains a town existed there. But on Livingston Church Road, just southwest of where two state highways intersect, century-old cypress trees and sunken roads provide hints of what used to be. This place was - and still is - called Livingston. From 1828 until 1833, it was the seat of Madison County. Two years later, the town earned some fame when slaves and others were tortured and hanged there as fear of an abolitionist uprising spread across west Mississippi.

The first phase of a residential development just south of the original town site is well under way, and the new old Livingston is expected to be rebuilt within the next 18 months. “The whole idea is to preserve history,” Kathy Hill, director of development for David Landrum, said.

A new road winds through a portion of what will eventually be the residential Chestnut Hill, part of Landrum’s 450-acre project. Landrum’s father built a similar town in Jones County.

Livingston will host festivals, Hill said, and the general store will have gas pumps. The chapel will be used for weddings and meetings. One floor of the courthouse will be used for parties, banquets and meetings, and the other floor will house offices. The rest of the building will be a museum of life in 19th-century Livingston. “Eventually, we’ll have retail shops, but we’re not in any hurry.” The smallest lots in Chestnut Hill are two acres, and the largest are over 50 acres. They cost from $240,000 to $525,000, Hill said.