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D−History
History · Central

Central dates to 2005

More historic than 2% of U.S. towns · #154 of 161 in Louisiana. What drives it

Most of Central was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1990. Below: maps from 1939 on.

2005founded
0on the National Register
1%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Central began

When was Central founded?

2005

Central dates its founding to 2005 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1833.

2020 census: 29,56521 years

How historic is Central?

D−

More historic than 2% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1833.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Central’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Central is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #154 of 161 in Louisiana. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Central’s overall grade.
Founding era2005, from Wikidata: founded 1945 or later, an older era than 2% of U.S. townsD−Homes built before 19401.2% of homes (±1.0) · typical LA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%DNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical LA town 3.8 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 2%
NewerOlder
Louisiana towns of 2,500+ (161)Ahead of 4%

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 Central’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.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 2005.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±1.0 points) is firm at this size.

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 →

What stands out about Central’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Lost villages8 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Central, and 65 old place names are still on the map.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Central are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Eight other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Sandy Creek
1833–1835
Burlington
1835–1854
Greenwell Springs
1854–1866
Burlington
1869–1872
Magnolia
1872–1934
Deerford
1879–1954
Comite
1884–1933
Puckett
1901–1912
Greenwell Spdngs
1932–today
18301930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Alford AcresBeabois PlaceBellingrathBellingrath HillsBiltmoreBoganvillaBon DickeyBrandon PlaceBridlewoodBurlingtonCarmel AcresCedar Mill RunCenterraCentral EstatesCentral PlaceCimmaronComiteComite HillsComite Hills WestCountry Estate AcresCountry RoadCrystal PlaceCrystal Place Mobile Home ParkDeerford
Gone or out of use
Deerford Post Officepost officeFlying J Ranch AirportairportFrenchtown SchoolschoolTriangle J Airportairport
7cemeteries and burying grounds inside Central
BradfordDevallEdwardsLovettOdomShanksYoungblood

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Start Central’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Central’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Central came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Central.

Read it all →

Long an unincorporated suburb of Baton Rouge, the citizens of Central voted to incorporate as a city on April 23, 2005, despite opposition from the parish.

Businessman Russell Starns headed the incorporation movement, saying it was based on residents' desire to establish a school system separate from that of East Baton Rouge Parish. The Louisiana State Legislature allowed Central to operate a separate school system only after the city incorporated.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Central, 1833 to 2005

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1833Post officeThe Sandy Creek post office opens
  3. 1835Post officeThe Sandy Creek post office closes
  4. 1835Post officeThe Burlington post office opens
  5. 1854Post officeThe Burlington post office closes
  6. 1854Post officeThe Greenwell Springs post office opens
  7. 1866Post officeThe Greenwell Springs post office closes
  8. 20th century
  9. 1939On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 1979Born hereBarry Ivey is born here
  11. 21st century
  12. 2005
    FoundingCentral is established
By decade

Central, decade by decade

Today2 recent
Central High School 9th grade academy2023Central High School 9th grade academyCentral, LA, USA2013Central, LA, USA
On the map

Central on the map, 1939 to 1996

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Central. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Central on the 1939 USGS mapCentral on the 1953 USGS mapCentral on the 1962 USGS mapCentral on the 1970 USGS mapCentral on the 1980 USGS mapCentral on the 1996 USGS map1939Zachary sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Central.

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Denham Springs3 historic placesB−BrownfieldsIts storyDMonticelloIts storyD−Zachary3 historic placesCSt. George6 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Central’s history

What year was Central founded?

In 2005, according to Wikidata. Central’s post office opened in 1833.

How does Central rank for history?

Central is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #154 of 161 in Louisiana. 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 Central?

1% of Central’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.0 points), against a typical 3.4% for a Louisiana town; the median home was built in 1990.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

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 Wikimedia Commons (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.