Hammond dates to 1818, and 15 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 72% of U.S. towns · #26 of 161 in Louisiana. What drives it
Most of Hammond was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1984. 15 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 163 buildings between them. Below: 8 old photos and papers, maps from 1974 on, and the census since 1880.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1866.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Hammond’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hammond is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns, #26 of 161 in Louisiana. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hammond’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 Hammond’s 83.1 sits above most of its state (87% of Louisiana towns have fewer) while its 179 historic buildings outnumber those of 93% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1818.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share (±1.3 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 Hammond’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The city is named for Peter Hammond (1798–1870), the surname anglicized from Peter av Hammerdal (Peter of Hammerdal) — a Swedish immigrant known as the first European settler, arriving around 1818. Peter, a sailor, had been briefly imprisoned by the British at Dartmoor Prison during the Napoleonic Wars. He escaped during a prison riot, made his way back to sea, and later reached New Orleans.
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.
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.
In 1818, according to Wikidata. Hammond’s post office opened in 1866, and the census of 1880 counted 277 people here.
How does Hammond rank for history?
Hammond is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns, #26 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 Hammond?
15 listings: 14 buildings, among them the Grace Memorial Episcopal Church (listed 1973, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Hammond Historic District and the Hammond Historic District (Boundary Increase II), with 163 contributing buildings. 179 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Hammond?
3% of Hammond’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.3 points), against a typical 3.4% for a Louisiana town; the median home was built in 1984.
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 (3), the Library of Congress (5), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (16), 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.
1880
1935
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