Belle Rose’s post office opened in 1881, and 17% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 35% of U.S. towns. What drives it
How Belle Rose began
When was Belle Rose founded?
The Belle Rose post office opened in 1881, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Cranes Forge (1849) and Klotzville (1892), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
How historic is Belle Rose?
More historic than 35% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
What drives Belle Rose’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Belle Rose is more historic than 35% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
Louisiana towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Louisiana town has 3.8 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Belle Rose’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (21% of Louisiana towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% 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 →
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Belle Rose’s post office has been open since 1881. Two other post offices 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).
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Questions about Belle Rose’s history
What year was Belle Rose founded?
The Belle Rose post office opened in 1881, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Belle Rose rank for history?
Belle Rose is more historic than 35% 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.
How old are the homes in Belle Rose?
17% of Belle Rose’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±14.5 points), against a typical 3.4% for a Louisiana town; the median home was built in 1966.
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).
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.