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A−History
History · Ashville

Ashville dates to 1817, and 4 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 78% of U.S. towns. What drives it

Most of Ashville was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1980. 4 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 122 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1889 on, and the census since 1860.

1817founded
4on the National Register
5%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Ashville’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Ashville began

When was Ashville founded?

1817

Ashville dates its founding to 1817 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 117 in 18602020 census: 2,346209 years

How historic is Ashville?

A−

More historic than 78% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1822.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Ashville’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ashville is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Ashville’s overall grade.
Founding era1817, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19405.1% of homes (±5.5) · typical AL town 3.2% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register4 listings, 130 historic buildings, 528 per 10,000 residents · typical AL town 2.7 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 78%
NewerOlder

Alabama towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Alabama town has 2.7 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Ashville’s 528 sits above most of its state (96% of Alabama towns have fewer) while its 130 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.5 points). Two sources give 1817.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Ashville’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Ashville Historic District takes in 122 historic buildings.A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18894 editions of the USGS map, 1889 to 1984. Watch Ashville change.Deep rootsEstablished in 1817: 209 years of Ashville.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

4 listings protect 130 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
130
each building in a district counts
first listed
1973
Inzer House
Inzer House, built 1852Dr. James J. Bothwell HouseJudge Elisha Robinson HouseAshville Historic District
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival2
Federal2
Queen Anne1
Early Republic1
Mid-19th Century1
Inzer HouseGreek Revival · Built 1852
Dr. James J. Bothwell HouseFederal
Judge Elisha Robinson HouseQueen Anne
Ashville Historic DistrictEarly Republic

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Help out

Start Ashville’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Ashville’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewJohn Ash House: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Ashville on the map, 1889 to 1984

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ashville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Ashville on the 1889 USGS mapAshville on the 1892 USGS mapAshville on the 1975 USGS mapAshville on the 1984 USGS map1889Springville sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Ashville.

The story

How Ashville came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Ashville.

Read it all →

Ashville was initially founded as the community of St. Clairsville, but the name was changed to honor John Ash, the first white settler of the area who arrived in 1817. He became the first county judge and later state senator. His log cabin stands in the city center. Philip Coleman originally owned the land on which the town stands, but he sold 30 acres to the five county commissioners, which included Ash, who was appointed by Gov. Thomas Bibb to establish a new county seat for St. Clair. It was designated the county seat in 1821 and the village incorporated in 1822. The first courthouse, also a log structure, was built two years later. It was replaced in 1844 with the current courthouse building.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Ashville, 1817 to 1991

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1817
    FoundingAshville is established
  3. 1822Post officeThe Ashville post office opens
  4. 1829Born hereRufus W. Cobb is born here
  5. 1852BuiltInzer House is built
  6. 1875Post officeThe Whitney post office opens
  7. 1889On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 20th century
  9. 1967Post officeThe Whitney post office closes
  10. 1968Born hereJohn Grass is born here
  11. 1991In the archiveJohn Ash House
By decade

Ashville, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1990s1 item
John Ash House1991John Ash House
Today2 recent
Howard hill grave2022Howard hill graveALMap-doton-Ashville2004ALMap-doton-Ashville
People over time

Ashville, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5001900195020002,346

Grew from 117 people in 1860 to 2,346 in 2020, more than tenfold.

14 censuses, 1860–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Ashville’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Ashville

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Rufus W. CobbGovernor of Alabama from 1878 to 1882 · b. 1829
J
John GrassAmerican football coach · b. 1968
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Ashville’s post office has been open since 1822. Another post office, Whitney, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Ashville
1822–today
Whitney
1875–1967
18201920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Whitney
Gone or out of use
Ashville AcademyschoolSaint Clair County Farmlocale
1cemetery inside Ashville
Choate

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Ashville’s history

What year was Ashville founded?

In 1817, according to Wikidata. Ashville’s post office opened in 1822, and the census of 1860 counted 117 people here.

How does Ashville rank for history?

Ashville is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Ashville?

4 listings: 3 buildings, among them the Inzer House (listed 1973, the first), and 1 historic district, the Ashville Historic District, with 122 contributing buildings. 130 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Ashville?

5% of Ashville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.5 points), against a typical 3.2% for an Alabama town; the median home was built in 1980.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (3), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.