New Hope’s post office opened in 1827, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 54% of U.S. towns · #65 of 187 in Alabama. What drives it
Most of New Hope was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Its Register listing is the Butlers' Store. Below: maps from 1936 on and the census since 1880.
The New Hope post office opened in 1827, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1883. Another post office, Vienna (1832), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 146 in 18802020 census: 2,889199 years
How historic is New Hope?
B−
More historic than 54% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first New Hope post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1883.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives New Hope’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, New Hope is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns, #65 of 187 in Alabama. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of New Hope’s overall grade.
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 New Hope’s 10.3 sits above most of its state (67% of Alabama towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share (±1.8 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1883.
Founding year: the first post office (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 New Hope’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Originally named "Cloud's Town" in 1829 by its founder, William Cloud, it was incorporated in 1832 under the name of "Vienna". Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Reed of the 12th Indiana Cavalry seized the town on May 29, 1864, during the American Civil War. Vienna was burned by the Union Army on December 15, 1864, because of the constant skirmishes with the guerrilla fighters in the area. All that remained were the post office and Masonic Lodge. Since there was already a post office called Vienna in southern Alabama and rules were that there could not be two post offices with the same name at that time, the rebuilt city was incorporated in 1883 as "New Hope", taking its name from the New Hope Methodist Church. The settlement known as Cloud's Town was actually settled in what is now known as Cloud's Cove just off Hobbs Island Road, and is a few miles from the town of New Hope.
The New Hope post office opened in 1827, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1883.
How does New Hope rank for history?
New Hope is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns, #65 of 187 in Alabama. 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 New Hope?
One place: the Butlers' Store (listed 1992).
How old are the homes in New Hope?
2% of New Hope’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.8 points), against a typical 3.2% for an Alabama town; the median home was built in 1989.
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 (2), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.
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