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BHistory
History · Nashville

Nashville dates to 1865, and 47% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 57% of U.S. towns. What drives it

Below: maps from 1950 on and the census since 1870.

1865founded
0on the National Register
47%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Nashville began

When was Nashville founded?

1865

Nashville dates its founding to 1865 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 642 in 18702020 census: 1,537161 years

How historic is Nashville?

B

More historic than 57% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1866.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Nashville’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Nashville is more historic than 57% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.

B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Nashville’s overall grade.
Founding era1865, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194046.9% of homes (±9.0) · typical MI town 11.9% · U.S. 8.4%A+National RegisterNo listings counted · typical MI town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 57%
NewerOlder

Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Nashville’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (32% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±9.0 points). Two sources give 1865.

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 Nashville’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Nashville are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Nashville’s homes were built before 1943.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Nashville’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Nashville’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 Nashville came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Nashville.

Read it all →

The initial plat for Nashville was on land originally purchased by John R. Pettibone on February 15, 1836. The land was part of Barry Township and then Hastings Township until February 16, 1842, when the land became Section 36 of the newly formed Castleton Township. By 1865, Robert B. Gregg owned the land and platted 127 lots on the south side of the Thornapple River. The survey was done by Joshua Martin and certified on October 2, 1865. Gregg's first lot sale was to Enos Kuhlman. By 1875, seven additions had been made to the original plat.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Nashville, decade by decade

Today5 recent
Putnam Public Library Historical Marker2019Putnam Public Library Historical MarkerNashville (1)2019Nashville (1)Saint Cyril's Catholic Church2014Saint Cyril's Catholic ChurchCharles Putman House2014Charles Putman HouseAlbert Olds House2014Albert Olds House
On the map

Nashville on the map, 1950 to 1981

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

Nashville on the 1950 USGS mapNashville on the 1981 USGS map1950Nashville 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 Nashville.

People over time

Nashville, census by census

02004006008001,0001,2001,4001,6001,80018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 1,684

Between 642 and 1,684 people in every census since 1870.

16 censuses, 1870–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Nashville’s Wikipedia page.

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Castleton TownshipIts storyA−Maple Grove TownshipIts storyB−

Questions about Nashville’s history

What year was Nashville founded?

In 1865, according to Wikidata. Nashville’s post office opened in 1866, and the census of 1870 counted 642 people here.

How does Nashville rank for history?

Nashville is more historic than 57% 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 Nashville?

47% of Nashville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.0 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1943.

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 (5), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.