Jackson dates to 1815, and 5 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 83% of U.S. towns · #10 of 161 in Louisiana. What drives it
Most of Jackson was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1977. 5 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 97 buildings. Below: maps from 1896 on and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1824.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Jackson’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Jackson is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns, #10 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 Jackson’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 Jackson’s 260 sits above most of its state (96% of Louisiana towns have fewer) while its 103 historic buildings outnumber those of 90% 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 (±5.8 points). Two sources give 1815.
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 Jackson’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The town of Jackson was founded in 1815 as the seat of justice for Feliciana Parish before the parish was divided into East and West. The town was a major commercial center and a center for education, earning it the title "Athens of the South". Legend holds that the town was originally called "Bear Corners" for the many wild black bears crossing nearby Thompson Creek, and that it eventually took its name from General Andrew Jackson, who reportedly camped there with his troops on the return trip north after the 1815 Battle of New Orleans.
Jackson was the parish seat only until 1824, when Feliciana Parish was split into two parishes, with Clinton selected as the new seat of government in East Feliciana.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Jackson. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1945Jackson sheet · 1:31,680
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Jackson.
Every building
Jackson, building by building, 1896–1908
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1815, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Jackson’s post office opened in 1824, and the census of 1870 counted 934 people here.
How does Jackson rank for history?
Jackson is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns, #10 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 Jackson?
5 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Centenary College (listed 1979, the first), and 1 historic district, the Jackson Historic District, with 97 contributing buildings. 103 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Jackson?
9% of Jackson’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.8 points), against a typical 3.4% for a Louisiana town; the median home was built in 1977.
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 (1), the Library of Congress (5), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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