Durham’s post office opened in 1887, and 53% of its homes were built before 1940
How Durham began, and where its name came from
When was Durham founded?
The Durham post office opened in 1887, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Moore's Ranch (1860), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
How did Durham get its name?
The city took its name from Durham cattle.
Lost post offices
Durham’s post office has been open since 1887. Another post office, Moore's Ranch, 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).
Questions about Durham’s history
What year was Durham founded?
The Durham post office opened in 1887, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From 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.