Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns · #19 of 142 in Kentucky. What drives it
13 places in town are on the National Register, among them five historic districts with 266 buildings between them. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1830.
Franklin dates its founding to 1820 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1830.
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Franklin is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #19 of 142 in Kentucky. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
Kentucky towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Kentucky town has 29.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Franklin’s 275 sits above most of its state (86% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 285 historic buildings outnumber those of 95% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikidata (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 country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Franklin’s history is told.
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.
1886Sheet 1 of 2Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From Wikipedia’s history of Franklin.
Franklin was formally incorporated by the state assembly on November 2, 1820, on a 62-acre (250,000 m2) tract of land. This tract was purchased from William Hudspeth and was named for Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. The post office was established on September 29, 1822, with Robert W. Simpson as postmaster.
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.
Born hereAlexander Majors is born hereBuiltCedars, The is builtBuiltOctagon Hall is built
Born hereHerbert J. Drane is born here
In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky - Simpson County - Franklin - ED 107-4, …
Born hereHomer Neal is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyOne decade in the archive so far: the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Franklin. 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 Franklin.
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 Franklin’s page.
Retake this view · +15Grew from 280 people in 1830 to 10,176 in 2020, more than tenfold.
18 censuses, 1830–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Franklin’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Franklin’s post office has been open since 1822.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1820, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Franklin’s post office opened in 1822, and the census of 1830 counted 280 people here.
Franklin is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #19 of 142 in Kentucky. 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.
13 listings: 7 buildings, among them the Goodnight House (listed 1977, the first), 5 historic districts with 266 contributing buildings, and 1 site. 285 historic buildings in all.
12% of Franklin’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.4 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky town; the median home was built in 1973.
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 (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (13), 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.
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