Farmington’s post office opened in 1868, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 20% of U.S. towns · #89 of 123 in Arkansas. What drives it
Most of Farmington was built recently: 0.4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2001. Its Register listings are the Walnut Grove Presbyterian Church and the Mack Morton Barn. Below: maps from 1899 on and the census since 1960.
Founding year: the first Farmington post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1946.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Farmington’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Farmington is more historic than 20% of U.S. towns, #89 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 Farmington’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 Farmington’s 2.2 sits below most of its state (26% of Arkansas towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. The pre-1940 share (±0.7 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1946.
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 Farmington’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first settlers came from the Deep South in 1828, and the area was known as Engel's Mill until a post office was built in 1868 and the village was renamed. The Civil War had a great impact on the community, as the area were mainly Confederates. The Battle of Prairie Grove occurred not far from Farmington, and the city was subject to raids by both armies as well as unaffiliated guerrillas and roughnecks.
Around the 1890s, residents found prosperity by growing strawberries and grapes and shipping them on the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway. The tracks were pulled up during World War II. Farmington was incorporated on October 15, 1946.
The Farmington post office opened in 1868, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1946.
How does Farmington rank for history?
Farmington is more historic than 20% of U.S. towns, #89 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 Farmington?
Two places: the Walnut Grove Presbyterian Church (listed 1995) and the Mack Morton Barn (2005).
How old are the homes in Farmington?
0.4% of Farmington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.1% for an Arkansas town; the median home was built in 2001.
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), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, 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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