The Fayette post office opened in 1861, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Westfield (1854), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
2020 census: 1,256165 years
How did Fayette get its name?
Fayette was named after the Marquis de la Fayette, French hero of the American Revolutionary War.
How historic is Fayette?
B+
More historic than 70% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Fayette post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
History grade
What drives Fayette’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Fayette is more historic than 70% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Fayette’s overall grade.
Iowa towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Iowa town has 9.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Fayette’s 7.6 sits near the middle of its state (52% of Iowa towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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 (±13.8 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 Fayette’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Fayette yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Fayette is a city in Fayette County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,256. It was named after the Marquis de la Fayette, French hero of the American Revolutionary War. Fayette is the home of Upper Iowa University, a small private college. The Volga River State Recreation Area is located just north of Fayette, and many other parks and natural areas are nearby. William B. Dohrmann was the mayor for 24 years and ended his term in 2013.
Its first post office opened in 1861. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 1,338 to 1,256 (-6%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Fayette, 1878–1891
Passages that mention Fayette, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Fayette County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, history of the No1878 · page 359Read the page →
Read the text
By the provisions of " A n Act fixing the terms of District Courts, ' '■ approved January 15, 1849, court was to be held in Fayette, Winnesheik and Allamakee "at such times as may be appointed by the Judge of said District." The county of Fayette, however, was not then organized, and the Judge did not appoint a term of court within its limits. Chapter 92, of the Code of Iowa, approved February 5, 1851, provided that " in counties where no term is now fixed for holding a court, the Judge may appoint terms by written notices to the Clerk thereof" Accordingly, the first term in Fayette County was appointed
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Fayette County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, history of the No1878 · page 528Read the page →
Read the text
The township of Clermont was first created by the County Commissioners of Fayette County in 1850, but the little settlement had been previously so named, and the post office was also called Clermont. The early election records are lost, if any were ever made. The first Justice of the Peace was Charles Sawyer, who was elected by the town of Pleasant Valley, composed of Townships 94 and 95, Range 7, in 1850. The first election in Clermont Township, of which tradition remains, was in November, 1850, or April, 1851. At this election, which was held at the house of Charles
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Portrait and biographical album of Fayette county, Iowa. Containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent1891 · page 190Read the page →
Read the text
Wis., who was a millwright b^' trade and was accidentally killed wliileat work in Montana. Gilbert B., a younger brother than B. W., is a farmer of Westfield Township, Fayette County, and has retired to the village of Fayette. Bcnoni W. Finch came to Iowa on the 18th of June, IB,")?, locating in Albany, Fayette County, wliere he was engaged in teaching school during
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Fayette, 1854 to 1861
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices
Fayette’s post office has been open since 1861. Another post office, Westfield, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Westfield
1854–1861
Fayette
1861–today
18501940today
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Fayette’s history
What year was Fayette founded?
The Fayette post office opened in 1861, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Fayette rank for history?
Fayette is more historic than 70% 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 Fayette?
One place: the College Hall (listed 1976).
How old are the homes in Fayette?
46% of Fayette’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±13.8 points), against a typical 22% for an Iowa town; the median home was built in 1951.
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 (2), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2021
2004