2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 12 buildings. Most of Smackover was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1980. Below: maps from 1925 on and the census since 1930.
Founding year: the first Smackover post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1922.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Smackover’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Smackover is more historic than 40% of U.S. towns. 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 Smackover’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 Smackover’s 57.9 sits above most of its state (73% of Arkansas towns have fewer) while its 14 historic buildings outnumber those of 78% 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 (±2.0 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1922.
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 Smackover’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In 1686, the French settlers called this area "Sumac Couvert", which translates to "covered in sumac bushes". This was transliterated, that is, phonetically Anglicized by the English-speaking settlers of the 19th century and later to the name "Smackover."
The name Bayou de Chemin Couvert (Smackover Creek) first appeared in an April 5, 1789, letter written by the commandant of Fort Miro (Monroe, Louisiana) to the French territorial governor.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Smackover. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1962Smackover 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 Smackover.
Every building
Smackover, building by building, 1925–1930
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 Smackover post office opened in 1887, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1922.
How does Smackover rank for history?
Smackover is more historic than 40% 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 Smackover?
Two places: the Smackover Historic Commercial District (listed 1990) and the D. McDonald House (1990).
How old are the homes in Smackover?
2% of Smackover’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.0 points), against a typical 3.1% for an Arkansas town; the median home was built in 1980.
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), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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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