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CHistory
History · Conover

Conover’s post office opened in 1873, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 31% of U.S. towns · #171 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it

Most of Conover was built recently: 0.8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1991. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 11 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1895 on and the census since 1880.

1873first post office
2on the National Register
0.8%homes built before 1940
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Conover began

When was Conover founded?

1873

The Conover post office opened in 1873, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1876. Another post office, Sherford (1881), opened inside today’s city and later closed.

First census: 150 in 18802020 census: 8,421153 years

How historic is Conover?

C

More historic than 31% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Conover post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1876.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Conover’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Conover is more historic than 31% of U.S. towns, #171 of 290 in North Carolina. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Conover’s overall grade.
Founding era1873, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19400.8% of homes (±0.9) · typical NC town 4.1% · U.S. 8.4%DNational Register2 listings, 11 historic buildings, 12.8 per 10,000 residents · typical NC town 12.5 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 31%
NewerOlder
North Carolina towns of 2,500+ (290)Ahead of 41%

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 Conover’s 12.8 sits near the middle of its state (55% of North Carolina towns have fewer) while its 11 historic buildings outnumber those of 76% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B−. The pre-1940 share (±0.9 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1876 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.

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 Conover’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 Conover are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18954 editions of the USGS map, 1895 to 1993. Watch Conover change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Conover’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Conover’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
On the map

Conover on the map, 1895 to 1993

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

Conover on the 1895 USGS mapConover on the 1970 USGS mapConover on the 1986 USGS mapConover on the 1993 USGS map1895Hickory sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Conover.

The story

How Conover came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Conover.

Read it all →

The City of Conover began to develop in the mid-1800s as a “Y” intersection of the railroad traversing North Carolina. Although originally called Wye Town, legend says the name "Canova" was adopted, but transposed to Conover over several years. The City of Conover was chartered in 1876 and incorporated in 1877.

The Bolick Historic District and George Huffman Farm are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Conover, 1873 to 1975

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1873Post officeThe Conover post office opens
  3. 1881Post officeThe Sherford post office opens
  4. 1883Post officeThe Sherford post office closes
  5. 1895On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 20th century
  7. 1932Born hereNed Jarrett is born here
  8. 1956Born hereDale Jarrett is born here
  9. 1975Born hereJason Jarrett is born here
By decade

Conover, decade by decade

Today4 recent
Conover-street-clock-nc2021Conover-street-clock-ncConover-1st-Avenue-nc2021Conover-1st-Avenue-ncConover, North Carolina2019Conover, North CarolinaAbandoned factory in2019Abandoned factory in
On the National Register

2 listings protect 11 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
11
each building in a district counts
first listed
1990
George Huffman Farm
George Huffman FarmBolick Historic District
Districts

Architectural styles listings

Federal1
Colonial Revival1
Bungalow/Craftsman1
All 2 listings
George Huffman FarmDistrict · listed 1990Bolick Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1990

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Conover, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,000188019001920194019601980200020208,421

Grew from 150 people in 1880 to 8,421 in 2020, more than tenfold.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Conover

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Dale JarrettAmerican racecar driver · b. 1956
Ned JarrettAmerican racecar driver and commentator · b. 1932
J
Jason JarrettAmerican stock car racing driver · b. 1975
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Conover’s post office has been open since 1873. Another post office, Sherford, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Conover
1873–today
Sherford
1881–1883
18701950today

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Newton11 historic placesA−St. StephensIts storyDHickory21 historic placesB

Questions about Conover’s history

What year was Conover founded?

The Conover post office opened in 1873, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1876.

How does Conover rank for history?

Conover is more historic than 31% of U.S. towns, #171 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 Conover?

Two places: the George Huffman Farm (listed 1990) and the Bolick Historic District (1990).

How old are the homes in Conover?

0.8% of Conover’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 4.1% for a North Carolina town; the median home was built in 1991.

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 (4), 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.