Most of Versailles was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1974. 5 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 42 buildings. Below: maps from 1946 on and the census since 1850.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Versailles is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns. 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 Versailles’ overall grade.
Indiana towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Indiana town has 7.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Versailles’ 226 sits above most of its state (89% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 46 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% 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 (±5.9 points). Two sources give 1819.
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 →
What stands out about Versailles’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
It was decided in 1818 a county seat should be located at Versailles. The town of Versailles was laid out in 1819. It was named after the Palace of Versailles.
A post office has been in operation at Versailles since 1823.
The Ripley County Courthouse, Fernando G. Taylor House, Tyson United Methodist Church, and Versailles School and Tyson Auditorium are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1819, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Versailles’ post office opened in 1823, and the census of 1850 counted 412 people here.
How does Versailles rank for history?
Versailles is more historic than 81% 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 Versailles?
5 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Fernando G. Taylor House (listed 1986, the first), and 1 historic district, the Versailles Courthouse Square Historic District, with 42 contributing buildings. 46 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Versailles?
10% of Versailles’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.9 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1974.
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 (24), the National Register of Historic Places (5), 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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