Covington dates to 1813, and 5 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 81% of U.S. towns · #13 of 161 in Louisiana. What drives it
Most of Covington was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1991. 5 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 174 buildings between them. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1935 on, and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1815.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Covington’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Covington is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #13 of 161 in Louisiana. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Covington’s overall grade.
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 Covington’s 153 sits above most of its state (94% of Louisiana towns have fewer) while its 178 historic buildings outnumber those of 92% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.0 points). Two sources give 1813.
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 Covington’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The earliest known settlement by Europeans in the area was in 1800 by Jacques Drieux, during the British West Florida period.
In 1813, John Wharton Collins established a town with the name of Wharton. He is buried on the corner of the city cemetery directly across from the Covington Police Department. On March 11, 1816, the town of Wharton was renamed as Covington. There are conflicting stories about how the city came to be named Covington. Many historians believe the city was renamed for General Leonard Covington, a hero of the War of 1812. Covington was killed late in 1813, having established his home in the Mississippi Territory.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Lost post offices, places now gone and burying grounds
Covington’s post office has been open since 1829. Another post office, Wharton, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Wharton
1815–1829
Covington
1829–today
18101920today
Gone or out of use
C J Schoen Middle SchoolschoolRiver Forest Golf Courselocale
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Covington
CovingtonWilson
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Covington’s history
What year was Covington founded?
In 1813, according to Wikidata. Covington’s post office opened in 1815, and the census of 1870 counted 585 people here.
How does Covington rank for history?
Covington is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #13 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.
What is on the National Register in Covington?
5 listings: 3 buildings, among them the Christ Episcopal Church (listed 1980, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Division of St. John Historic District and the Bogue Falaya Park, with 174 contributing buildings. 178 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Covington?
8% of Covington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.0 points), against a typical 3.4% for a Louisiana town; the median home was built in 1991.
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 (4), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (5), 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.
1850
1915
