Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 72% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Quitman was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1973. 9 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 227 buildings.
The Quitman post office opened in 1836, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1839.
More historic than 72% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Quitman is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
Mississippi towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Mississippi town has 71.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Quitman’s 1,087 sits above most of its state (98% of Mississippi towns have fewer) while its 235 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Quitman’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Quitman.
Quitman was established in 1839 and named as the county seat.
In 1855, the Mobile and Ohio Railroad laid track and built a station on the east bank of the Chickasawhay River, prompting development of the city on the east bank.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
BuiltTrotter-Byrd House is built
Born hereOscar W. Gillespie is born here
Born hereSam C. Massingale is born hereBuiltCapt. C. C. Ferrill House is builtBuiltQuitman Depot is builtBuiltBenjamin H. Carter House is built
Born hereAntonio McDyess is born hereWriters, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Quitman’s post office has been open since 1836.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The Quitman post office opened in 1836, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1839.
Quitman is more historic than 72% 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.
9 listings: 8 buildings, among them the Trotter-Byrd House (listed 1980, the first), and 1 historic district, the Quitman Downtown-Mill Historic District, with 227 contributing buildings. 235 historic buildings in all.
2% of Quitman’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.5 points), against a typical 4.5% for a Mississippi town; the median home was built in 1973.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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), Wikidata (4), the National Register of Historic Places (9), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
2007
2006