History · Greenwood

Greenwood dates to 1851, and 5 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 32% of U.S. towns · #75 of 123 in Arkansas. What drives it

Most of Greenwood was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1995. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1913 on, and the census since 1880.

1851founded

5on the National Register

4%homes built before 1940

1old photo or paper

5famous people

Add an old photo Share a memory

From Greenwood’s archive · credits on each photo

Quick answers

How Greenwood began

When was Greenwood founded?

1851

Greenwood dates its founding to 1851 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 204 in 18802020 census: 9,516175 years

How historic is Greenwood?

More historic than 32% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓

Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1852.The full story ↓

History grade

What drives Greenwood’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Greenwood is more historic than 32% of U.S. towns, #75 of 123 in Arkansas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Greenwood’s overall grade.

Founding era1851, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC⁺Homes built before 19404.0% of homes (±2.8) · typical AR town 3.1% · U.S. 8.4%C National Register5 listings, 5.2 per 10,000 residents · typical AR town 20.5 · U.S. 2.4B⁻

All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 32%

NewerOlder

Arkansas towns of 2,500+ (123)Ahead of 39%

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 Greenwood’s 5.2 sits below most of its state (34% of Arkansas towns have fewer) while its 5 listings outnumber those of 70% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to C. The pre-1940 share (±2.8 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1851.

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 Greenwood’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1920 and 1930, then grew more than tenfold.Landmarks on the Register5 places on the National Register.

★ What stands out · Help out

Start Greenwood’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos

00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.

Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2 Retake an old view1932 Ford Model B Pick-Up: stand where they stood+15 Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

People over time

Greenwood, census by census

Lost half of its people between 1920 and 1930, then grew more than tenfold.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

On the National Register

5 historic places in Greenwood

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

places listed

National Historic Landmarks

none yet

historic buildings protected

each building in a district counts

first listed

1994

Sebastian County Jail, Old

BuildingsStructures

Sebastian County Jail, OldBuilding

State Highway 96 BridgeBuilt 1938

Robert Atlas Harper HouseBuilding

Greenwood Presbyterian ChurchBuilding

Greenwood GymnasiumBuilding

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

The story

How Greenwood came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Greenwood.

Read it all →

Greenwood was founded in 1851 when its location was selected for the first county seat of Sebastian County. The town was named for Judge Alfred Burton Greenwood. Judge Greenwood had been elected the previous year to serve as Circuit Judge over ten Northwest Arkansas counties. The first court house was a log structure, replaced in 1865 by a frame court house which was built in the center of the public square. This courthouse later burned and in 1916 the courthouse was relocated south of the square. Since that time the square has become a city park and site of many festivals, city picnics and celebrations.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Greenwood, 1851 to 2020

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

19th century
1851
FoundingGreenwood is established
1852Post officeThe Greenwood post office opens
1894Born hereWilliam D. McFarlane is born here
20th century
1914Born hereGeorge Bradley is born here
1938BuiltState Highway 96 Bridge is built
1940Born hereWayne Kemp is born here
1947On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
1960Born hereDoc Sadler is born here
21st century
2020CensusPopulation peaks at 9,516

By decade

Greenwood, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date

Date?1932 Ford Model B Pick-Up

Today7 recent

2025Vineyard Cabin

2025Sebastian County Courthouse in Greenwood, AR 002

2025Sebastian County Courthouse in Greenwood, AR 001

2025Clock and bell tower in downtown

2025Bass Little bust

2025AR 10 turns right in

2005ARMap-doton-Greenwood

On the map

Greenwood on the map, 1947 to 1987

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

1947Greenwood 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 Greenwood.

Every building

Greenwood, building by building, 1913

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 sheet.

Greenwood fire insurance map, 1913, sheet 1

1913Sheet 1 of 2

Sheets

+1 more at the Library of Congress

BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Retake this view1932 Ford Model B Pick-Up

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Greenwood’s page.

Retake this view · +15

Famous people

5 famous people were born in Greenwood

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

See all →

Wayne KempAmerican country musician · b. 1940

William D. McFarlaneAmerican politician · b. 1894

Doc SadlerAmerican basketball player-coach · b. 1960

George BradleyOutfielder · b. 1914

Lee JohnsonMember of the Arkansas House of Representatives

Places that used to be

Old corners and burying grounds

Greenwood’s post office has been open since 1852.

Hamlets and corners on the map

Fidelity

1cemetery inside Greenwood

Greenwood

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

Questions about Greenwood’s history

What year was Greenwood founded?

In 1851, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Greenwood’s post office opened in 1852, and the census of 1880 counted 204 people here.

How does Greenwood rank for history?

Greenwood is more historic than 32% of U.S. towns, #75 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 Greenwood?

5 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Sebastian County Jail, Old (listed 1994, the first), and 1 structure.

How old are the homes in Greenwood?

4% of Greenwood’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.8 points), against a typical 3.1% for an Arkansas town; the median home was built in 1995.

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 (7), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (4), the National Register of Historic Places (5), 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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