[3] The town was situated in the longleaf yellow pine region where lumber mills and family farms were the principal forms of livelihood.

By the 1920s, the vast timber resources of south Mississippi had been depleted, and booming lumber towns, such as McHenry, faded rapidly.

George McHenry's home is on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Stone County, Mississippi.

The grave site of Mississippi pioneer, Lt. Col. John Bond, Jr., is located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of McHenry.

Due to its location just north of the Harrison County line, numerous modern residential subdivisions and some commercial uses have been developed in the McHenry area, particularly in the post-Katrina period.