Waynesboro’s post office opened in 1856, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 45% of U.S. towns · #54 of 100 in Mississippi. What drives it
Most of Waynesboro was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1974. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 36 buildings. Below: maps from 1964 on and the census since 1880.
Founding year: the first Waynesboro post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Waynesboro’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Waynesboro is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns, #54 of 100 in Mississippi. 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 Waynesboro’s overall grade.
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 Waynesboro’s 79.7 sits above most of its state (67% of Mississippi towns have fewer) while its 36 historic buildings outnumber those of 83% 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 (±4.3 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 →
What stands out about Waynesboro’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In 1854, the Mobile and Ohio Railroad was built through Wayne County, and Waynesboro Station was built about five miles north of Winchester. Around Waynesboro Station, the railroad laid the future town of Waynesboro and sold property. In 1867, Waynesboro replaced Winchester as the county seat.
The discovery of oil in Wayne County during the 1940s drove an economic and population boom. In the 1940s, Waynesboro's population more than doubled, increasing from 1,445 residents in 1940 to 3,442 residents in 1950.
Two radio stations are licensed to Waynesboro. WABO (AM) began broadcasting in 1954 and WABO-FM in 1973.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Waynesboro. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1964Waynesboro sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Waynesboro.
People over time
Waynesboro, census by census
Between 156 and 5,349 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Waynesboro’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Places now gone and burying grounds
Waynesboro’s post office has been open since 1856.
Gone or out of use
Robinsons Storelocale
1cemetery inside Waynesboro
Waynesboro
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Waynesboro’s history
What year was Waynesboro founded?
The Waynesboro post office opened in 1856, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Waynesboro rank for history?
Waynesboro is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns, #54 of 100 in Mississippi. 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 Waynesboro?
Two places: the Yellow Creek Bridge (listed 1988) and the Downtown Waynesboro Historic District (2012).
How old are the homes in Waynesboro?
4% of Waynesboro’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.3 points), against a typical 4.5% for a Mississippi town; the median home was built in 1974.
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 National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.
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