The Clarendon post office opened in 1837, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1859. Two smaller post offices, Mouth Of Cache (1828) and Rockroe (1838), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 400 in 18802020 census: 1,526189 years
How historic is Clarendon?
A−
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Clarendon post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1859.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Clarendon’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Clarendon is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Clarendon’s overall grade.
Arkansas towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Arkansas town has 20.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Clarendon’s 115 sits above most of its state (88% of Arkansas towns have fewer) while its 21 listings outnumber those of 80% 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 (±5.4 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1859.
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 Clarendon’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area around Clarendon was originally populated by various Native American groups. By 1799, French hunters and trappers had built cabins at the mouth of the Cache River. It was the point where the Military Road from Memphis, Tennessee, to Little Rock crossed the White River. The Military Road was begun in 1826 and completed in 1828. By that date, a ferry crossing and post office had been established in Clarendon, and the town served as the terminus for a stagecoach line to the west. The Military Road was used as the route for some groups of Native Americans being relocated from eastern states to Oklahoma during the forced relocations commonly known as the Trail of Tears; Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Cherokee groups are known to have traveled along it.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Clarendon. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1935Clarendon sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Clarendon.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices
Clarendon’s post office has been open since 1837. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Mouth Of Cache
1828–1837
Clarendon
1837–today
Rockroe
1838–1839
18201920today
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Clarendon’s history
What year was Clarendon founded?
The Clarendon post office opened in 1837, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1859.
How does Clarendon rank for history?
Clarendon is more historic than 85% 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 Clarendon?
21 listings: 20 buildings, among them the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (listed 1976, the first), and 1 structure.
How old are the homes in Clarendon?
14% of Clarendon’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.4 points), against a typical 3.1% for an Arkansas town; the median home was built in 1969.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (21), 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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