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A−History
History · Marianna

Marianna’s post office opened in 1828, and 5 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 82% of U.S. towns · #15 of 638 in Florida. What drives it

Most of Marianna was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1972. 5 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 181 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1850.

1828first post office
5on the National Register
8%homes built before 1940
6old photos & papers
30famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Marianna’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Marianna began

When was Marianna founded?

1828

The Marianna post office opened in 1828, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 377 in 18502020 census: 6,245198 years

How historic is Marianna?

A−

More historic than 82% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Marianna post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).
History grade

What drives Marianna’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Marianna is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns, #15 of 638 in Florida. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Marianna’s overall grade.
Founding era1828, from the first post office: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19407.6% of homes (±3.1) · typical FL town 0.6% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register5 listings, 185 historic buildings, 259 per 10,000 residents · typical FL town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 82%
NewerOlder
Florida towns of 2,500+ (638)Ahead of 98%

Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Marianna’s 259 sits above most of its state (98% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 185 historic buildings outnumber those of 93% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.1 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 Marianna’s past

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

A historic districtThe Marianna Historic District takes in 181 historic buildings.Mapped building by building7 fire insurance maps, 1884 to 1922, drew every building in Marianna.Famous sons and daughtersNorman Thagard, Bobby Goldsboro and 28 more were born here.Deep rootsA post office since 1828: 198 years of Marianna.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

5 listings protect 185 historic buildings

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

places listed
5
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
185
each building in a district counts
first listed
1972
Theophilus West House
Theophilus West HouseEly-Criglar HouseJoseph W. Russ Jr. HouseMarianna Historic DistrictSt. Luke Baptist Church
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival2
Victorian2
Queen Anne2
Gothic1
Wood Frame Vernacular1
Masonry Vernacular1
Theophilus West HouseGreek Revival
Ely-Criglar HouseGreek Revival
Joseph W. Russ Jr. HouseQueen Anne
Marianna Historic DistrictWood Frame Vernacular
St. Luke Baptist ChurchGothic Revival

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

Every building

Marianna, building by building, 1884–1922

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.

Marianna fire insurance map, 1884, sheet 11884Sheet 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.

Famous people

30 famous people were born in Marianna

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

See all →
Norman ThagardUnited States Marine Corps officer, aviator and… · b. 1943
Bobby GoldsboroAmerican pop and country singer-songwriter · b. 1941
Alex HamiltonAmerican basketball player · b. 1993
Johnnie BassettAmerican electric blues guitarist, singer, and … · b. 1935
William Hall MiltonAmerican politician · b. 1864
Timothy Thomas FortuneAmerican writer, activist · b. 1856
The story so far

Marianna, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Marianna yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Marianna is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Florida, United States, and it is home to Chipola College, part of the state's public system. The official nickname of Marianna is "The City of Southern Charm". The population was 6,245 at the 2020 census.

Its first post office opened in 1828. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 6,102 to 6,245 (+2%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Marianna, 1828 to 1993

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1828Post officeThe Marianna post office opens
  3. 1880In the archive1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Florida (FL) - Jackson County - Marianna - ED 32-…
  4. 20th century
  5. 1930In the archiveHigh school
  6. 1935Born hereJohnnie Bassett is born here
  7. 1941Born hereBobby Goldsboro is born here
  8. 1943Born hereNorman Thagard is born here
  9. 1952On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 1993Born hereAlex Hamilton is born here
By decade

Marianna, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s1 item
1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Florida (FL) - Jackson County - Marianna - ED 32-17 to 2618801950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Florida (FL) …
1890s–1920snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
1930s3 items
High school1930High schoolTurpentine plant near Marianna, Florida1937Turpentine plant near Marianna, FloridaTurpentine plant near Marianna, Florida1937Turpentine plant near Marianna, Florida
1940s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Date unknown2 to date
Florida Caverns State Park, 3345 Caverns RoadDate?Florida Caverns State Park, 3345 Caverns RoadFrancis R. Ely House, 242 West Lafayette StreetDate?Francis R. Ely House, 242 West Lafayette Street
Today14 recent
Florida School for Boys - The White House2025Florida School for Boys - The White HouseFlorida School for Boys - The White House - Playground2025Florida School for Boys - The White House - PlaygroundFlorida School for Boys - The White House - Playground Plaque2025Florida School for Boys - The White House - Playgroun…Fallen trees in Marianna after Hurricane Michael2018Fallen trees in Marianna after Hurricane MichaelDamaged billboard in Marianna after Hurricane Michael2018Damaged billboard in Marianna after Hurricane MichaelDamaged "Free" board after Hurricane Michael2018Damaged "Free" board after Hurricane MichaelMarianna city limits US90WB2016Marianna city limits US90WBMarianna City limit, FL71sb2016Marianna City limit, FL71sbFlorida I10wb Exit 1362016Florida I10wb Exit 136Florida I10 over Kynesville Rd2016Florida I10 over Kynesville RdI-10 West - Exit 136 - FL276 One Mile2015I-10 West - Exit 136 - FL276 One MileMarianna FL US 90 intersection north012011Marianna FL US 90 intersection north01Medal - Museum of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts - IMG 69602010Medal - Museum of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery…FLMap-doton-Marianna2004FLMap-doton-Marianna
On the map

Marianna on the map, 1952 to 1994

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

Marianna on the 1952 USGS mapMarianna on the 1982 USGS mapMarianna on the 1994 USGS map1952Marianna 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 Marianna.

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.

1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Florida (FL) - Jackson County - Marianna - ED 32-17 to 26
Retake this view1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Florida (FL) - Jackson County - Marianna - ED 32-17 to 26, 1880

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

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Marianna, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,0001850190019502000Peak: 7,282

Between 377 and 7,282 people in every census since 1850.

18 censuses, 1850–2020.

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

Places that used to be

Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Marianna’s post office has been open since 1828.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Chipola Terrace
Gone or out of use
Marianna Army Air Fieldmilitary
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Marianna
Orange HillRiverside

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

Help out

Start Marianna’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo2 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old view1950 Census Enumeration District Maps -…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Greenwood4 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Marianna’s history

What year was Marianna founded?

The Marianna post office opened in 1828, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Marianna rank for history?

Marianna is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns, #15 of 638 in Florida. 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 Marianna?

5 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Theophilus West House (listed 1972, the first), and 1 historic district, the Marianna Historic District, with 181 contributing buildings. 185 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Marianna?

8% of Marianna’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.1 points), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1972.

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 (16), the Library of Congress (4), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (5), 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.