Conway’s post office opened in 1871, and 35 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 41% of U.S. towns · #58 of 123 in Arkansas. What drives it
Most of Conway was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1998. 35 places in town are on the National Register, among them five historic districts with 209 buildings between them. Below: 9 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1880.
The Conway post office opened in 1871, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1872. Another post office, Bessie (1899), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 1,028 in 18802020 census: 64,134155 years
How historic is Conway?
C+
More historic than 41% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Conway post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1872.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Conway’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Conway is more historic than 41% of U.S. towns, #58 of 123 in Arkansas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Conway’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 Conway’s 36.2 sits near the middle of its state (63% of Arkansas towns have fewer) while its 245 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to B. The pre-1940 share (±0.5 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1872 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
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 Conway’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Every building
Conway, building by building, 1886–1926
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
The city of Conway was founded by Asa P. Robinson, who came to the area shortly after the Civil War. Robinson was the chief engineer for the Little Rock-Fort Smith Railroad (now the Union Pacific). Part of his compensation was the deed to a tract of land, one square mile, located near the old settlement of Cadron. When the railroad came through, Robinson had deeded a small tract of his land back to the railroad for a depot site. He laid off a town site around the depot and named it "Conway Station" in honor of a famous Arkansas family. Conway Station contained two small stores, two saloons, a depot, some temporary housing, and a post office. Despite being founded as a railroad town, there is currently no passenger service; this is attributed to the increasing emphasis placed on cars.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Conway’s post office has been open since 1871. Another post office, Bessie, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Conway
1871–today
Bessie
1899–1904
18701950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Belk CornerBessieBrumleyGleasonRolling HillsSalem
Gone or out of use
Barley SchoolschoolBethel SchoolschoolCadron Gap SchoolschoolCentral College for Young WomenschoolDennis F Cantrell FieldairportFairview SchoolschoolGermantown SchoolschoolGreen SchoolschoolHietts StorelocalePeabody SchoolschoolRed Hill SchoolschoolReeves SchoolschoolWhittens Storelocale
The Conway post office opened in 1871, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1872.
How does Conway rank for history?
Conway is more historic than 41% of U.S. towns, #58 of 123 in Arkansas. 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 Conway?
35 listings: 26 buildings, among them the Faulkner County Jail (listed 1978, the first), 5 historic districts with 209 contributing buildings, 1 site, 1 structure, and 2 objects. 245 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Conway?
2% of Conway’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.1% for an Arkansas town; the median home was built in 1998.
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 (25), the Library of Congress (3), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (35), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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