Morrilton’s post office opened in 1879, and 19 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 64% of U.S. towns · #24 of 123 in Arkansas. What drives it
Most of Morrilton was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. 19 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 116 buildings between them. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1880.
The Morrilton post office opened in 1879, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Lewisburgh (1832), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 770 in 18802020 census: 6,992147 years
How historic is Morrilton?
B
More historic than 64% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Morrilton post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Morrilton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Morrilton is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #24 of 123 in Arkansas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Morrilton’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 Morrilton’s 188 sits above most of its state (97% of Arkansas towns have fewer) while its 133 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% 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 is a Census survey estimate (±4.5 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 Morrilton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In 1825 a trading post was established about a mile south of present-day Morrilton on the Arkansas River. This town, later named Lewisburg, thrived after being incorporated in 1844. In 1871 the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad built track through present day Morrilton. It was later named Morrilton after the previous landowners E.J. and George H. Morrill. The downtown grew around the Morrills' land and that owned by James M. Moose. Residents of Lewisburg eventually moved away from the river and to the railroad hub at Morrilton. In 1883 Morrilton became the seat of Conway County, Arkansas.
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Morrilton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1961Morrilton East sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Morrilton.
Every building
Morrilton, building by building, 1886–1919
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.
1886Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
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 view1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Arkansas - Conway County - Morrilton - ED 15-23, ED 15-24, ED 15-25, 1880
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Morrilton’s page.
Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds
Morrilton’s post office has been open since 1879. Another post office, Lewisburgh, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Lewisburgh
1832–1882
Morrilton
1879–today
18301930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Country EstatesDeerwoodLewisburgSpring Meadows
3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Morrilton
ElmwoodLewisburgWest
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Morrilton’s history
What year was Morrilton founded?
The Morrilton post office opened in 1879, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Morrilton rank for history?
Morrilton is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #24 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 Morrilton?
19 listings: 14 buildings, among them the Cox House (listed 1974, the first), 3 historic districts, the Morrilton Commercial Historic District, the Moose Addition Neighborhood Historic District and the West Church Street Historic District, with 116 contributing buildings, 1 site, and 1 structure. 133 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Morrilton?
9% of Morrilton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.5 points), against a typical 3.1% for an Arkansas town; the median home was built in 1975.
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 (19), 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.
1880
2014
2012
2011
2010
