Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 49% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Tompkinsville was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1972. Its Register listings are the Old Mulkey Meetinghouse and the Thomas P. Evans House. Its Register listings are the Old Mulkey Meetinghouse and the Thomas P. Evans House. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1929 on, and the census since 1830.
The Tompkinsville post office opened in 1819, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 49% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Tompkinsville is more historic than 49% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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 Tompkinsville’s 7.7 sits near the middle of its state (38% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
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 →
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 Tompkinsville’s history is told.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereSamuel B. Maxey is born here
Born hereJoe H. Eagle is born here
In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky - Monroe County - Tompkinsville - ED 86-…
Born hereTim Lee Carter is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyWriters, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
From Wikipedia’s history of Tompkinsville.
In 1804, the Old Mulkey Meetinghouse was built. It is today part of the Old Mulkey Meetinghouse State Historic Site. At this site, a graveyard is home to deceased veterans of both the American Revolutionary War and the American Civil War. Daniel Boone's sister, Hannah, is also buried there.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
One 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 Tompkinsville. 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 Tompkinsville.
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 Tompkinsville’s page.
Retake this view · +15The 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.
Between 188 and 3,077 people in every census since 1830.
17 censuses, 1830–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Tompkinsville’s Wikipedia page.
Tompkinsville’s post office has been open since 1819.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The Tompkinsville post office opened in 1819, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Tompkinsville is more historic than 49% 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.
Two places: the Old Mulkey Meetinghouse (listed 1973) and the Thomas P. Evans House (1992).
3% of Tompkinsville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.8 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky town; the median home was built in 1972.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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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