Concord dates to 1796, and 13 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 76% of U.S. towns · #64 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
Most of Concord was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1998. 13 places in town are on the National Register, among them six historic districts with 865 buildings between them. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1800.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Concord’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Concord is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #64 of 290 in North Carolina. 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 Concord’s overall grade.
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Concord ranks #140 on History.
North Carolina towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical North Carolina town has 12.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Concord’s 83.2 sits above most of its state (73% of North Carolina towns have fewer) while its 904 historic buildings outnumber those of 98% 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 (±0.9 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1796.
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 Concord’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Concord, located in today's rapidly growing northeast quadrant of the Charlotte metropolitan area, was first settled about 1750 by German and Scots-Irish settlers. The name Concord means "to bring into harmony". This name was chosen after a lengthy dispute between the German Lutherans and Scotch-Irish Presbyterians over where the county seat should be located. Concord is considered a relatively old town by US standards, as it was incorporated in 1806. Today, markers identifying the original town limits can be seen in the downtown area.
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Concord. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1950Concord 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 Concord.
Every building
Concord, building by building, 1885–1921
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 1796, according to Wikidata. Concord’s post office opened in 1800, and the census of 1870 counted 878 people here.
How does Concord rank for history?
Concord is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #64 of 290 in North Carolina. 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 Concord?
13 listings: 7 buildings, among them the McCurdy Log House (listed 1974, the first), and 6 historic districts with 865 contributing buildings. 904 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Concord?
6% of Concord’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 4.1% for a North Carolina town; the median home was built in 1998.
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), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (13), 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.
1910
1912
