Donalsonville’s post office opened in 1889, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 47% of U.S. towns · #116 of 263 in Georgia. What drives it
Most of Donalsonville was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. 3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 48 buildings. Below: maps from 1974 on and the census since 1900.
Founding year: the first Donalsonville post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Donalsonville’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Donalsonville is more historic than 47% of U.S. towns, #116 of 263 in Georgia. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Donalsonville’s overall grade.
Georgia towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Georgia town has 10.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Donalsonville’s 177 sits above most of its state (78% of Georgia towns have fewer) while its 50 historic buildings outnumber those of 85% 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 (±1.9 points) is firm at this size. 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 Donalsonville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Donalsonville was originally part of Decatur County. It is named after John Ernest Donalson (1846–1920), also known as Jonathan or John E. Donalson, a prominent businessman of the area. Donalson built the first lumber mill in Donalsonville, Donalson Lumber Company. He also built homes and a commissary for the workers of the mill. The lumber company paved the way for the town's growth.
Donalsonville was first chartered as a town in Georgia on December 8, 1897. When Seminole County was formed in January 1920, Donalsonville was named as its county seat. By August 1922, the Town of Donalsonville became known as the City of Donalsonville, with the charter passing on August 19, 1922.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Donalsonville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1974Donalsonville West 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 Donalsonville.
People over time
Donalsonville, census by census
Between 519 and 3,320 people in every census since 1900.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Donalsonville’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Old corners and burying grounds
Donalsonville’s post office has been open since 1889.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Pine Lake Estates
3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Donalsonville
FriendshipFriendship Memorial GardensLive Oak
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Donalsonville’s history
What year was Donalsonville founded?
The Donalsonville post office opened in 1889, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Donalsonville rank for history?
Donalsonville is more historic than 47% of U.S. towns, #116 of 263 in Georgia. 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 Donalsonville?
Three places: the Seminole County Courthouse (listed 1980), the Donalsonville Historic District (2002) and the Southeastern Holiness Institute (1982).
How old are the homes in Donalsonville?
4% of Donalsonville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.9 points), against a typical 3.8% for a Georgia 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 (3), 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) 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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