Richton, MS

Richton is a Perry County town in south Mississippi, part of the Hattiesburg metro but still organized around its own school district and Front Street. The Richton School District runs an elementary school for kindergarten through sixth grade and a high school for seventh through twelfth, giving the town a school-centered map. Perry County’s broader education network reaches Jones College, so students in town are tied to both the local schools and the regional college system.

Front Street gives Richton a second gathering point. The Front Street Association has been working on local business promotion and its annual Fall on Front event, which puts a town-wide date on the calendar. That kind of recurring event fits Richton better than a grand landmark does: school in the middle of the week, storefronts and local businesses on the main street, and a fall festival that brings the town back outside. If you’re placing Richton, think Perry County roads, Front Street, the Rebels, and Hattiesburg just beyond the local orbit.