Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 75% of U.S. towns · #51 of 263 in Georgia. What drives it
Most of Forsyth was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1974. 6 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 60 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1880.
Forsyth dates its founding to 1823 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.
Forsyth was named for John Forsyth, governor of Georgia from 1827 to 1829 and Secretary of State under presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren.
More historic than 75% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Forsyth is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #51 of 263 in Georgia. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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 Forsyth’s 155 sits above most of its state (77% of Georgia towns have fewer) while its 72 historic buildings outnumber those of 87% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Forsyth’s history is told.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
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.
1885Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From Wikipedia’s history of Forsyth.
Forsyth was established in 1823. That same year, the seat of Monroe County was transferred to Forsyth from Johnstonville. Forsyth was named for John Forsyth, governor of Georgia from 1827 to 1829 and Secretary of State under presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In the archiveGeorgia. Forsyth. Girls basketball game at Bessie Tift College
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born hereMario Harvey is born here
Born hereMalik Herring is born hereOne decade in the archive so far: the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
2016Georgia I75nb exit 187
2016Georgia I75nb exit 187 .5 mile
2016Forsyth United Methodist Church
2016Blue Star Memorial, American Legion
2015Pass in Review
2015Command Review
2015Central Georgia Storm Clouds - Flickr - StephenGA
2014Where Uncle Remus Came of Age historical marker
2014NRHP Plaque, 22 W Main St
2014Monroe County historical marker
2014Monroe County Courthouse Restoration corner stone
2014Forsyth Courthouse Square National Historic District …
2014E Johnson St RR Crossing (looking West)
2014Dedicating Courthouse Grounds plaque
2014Confederate Statue
2014Confederate Statue and Flagpole
20102010 Census Urban Cluster Reference Map forBookEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Forsyth. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Forsyth.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Forsyth’s page.
Retake this view · +15Between 920 and 4,624 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Forsyth’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Forsyth’s post office has been open since 1826. Another post office, Monroe Court House, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1823, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Forsyth’s post office opened in 1823, and the census of 1880 counted 1,105 people here.
Forsyth is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #51 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.
6 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Hil'ardin/Sharp-Hardin-Wright House (listed 1979, the first), and 1 historic district, the Forsyth Commercial Historic District, with 60 contributing buildings. 72 historic buildings in all.
7% of Forsyth’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.6 points), against a typical 3.8% for a Georgia town; the median home was built in 1974.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (17), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (6), 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.
