Davidson dates to 1837, and 6 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 70% of U.S. towns · #77 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
Most of Davidson was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2005. 6 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 405 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1902 on and the census since 1880.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1837.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Davidson’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Davidson is more historic than 70% of U.S. towns, #77 of 290 in North Carolina. 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 Davidson’s overall grade.
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 Davidson’s 261 sits above most of its state (88% of North Carolina towns have fewer) while its 409 historic buildings outnumber those of 96% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A. The pre-1940 share (±1.7 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1837.
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 Davidson’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
1902Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
John Davidson, described as "a prosperous Ulster merchant", was a member of the Davidson family who migrated south from Pennsylvania. Davidson's Creek was the westernmost settlement in North Carolina at the time, and according to Robert Ramsey's Carolina Cradle, it "became the nucleus of the Centre Presbyterian Congregation." John Davidson's son William went on to serve in the American Revolution, eventually becoming a major. Maj. William Davidson was a cousin of Col. William Davidson, the first state senator from Buncombe County, North Carolina, who in turn was a cousin of Gen. William Lee Davidson, for whom Davidson College was named. Gen. Davidson's son William Lee Davidson II sold 469 acres (1.90 km2) to the Concord Presbytery to start Davidson College.
Passages that mention Davidson, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Mecklenburg County and the city of Charlotte1903Read the page →
Read the text
The town of Davidson College was incorporated by the Legislature February n, 1879. Its boundaries include rectangular one mile wide and one and one-half miles long.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Mecklenburg County and the city of Charlotte1903Read the page →
Read the text
Davidson, William, State Senator from 181 3 to 181 7; Congressman from 181 8 to 1821 ; State Senator from 1827 to 1829; a prominent and influential citizen for many years.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Davidson, 1837 to 1995
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In 1837, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Davidson’s post office opened in 1837, and the census of 1880 counted 391 people here.
How does Davidson rank for history?
Davidson is more historic than 70% of U.S. towns, #77 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 Davidson?
6 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Eumenean Hall, Davidson College (listed 1972, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Davidson Historic District and the Potts Plantation, with 405 contributing buildings. 409 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Davidson?
2% of Davidson’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.7 points), against a typical 4.1% for a North Carolina town; the median home was built in 2005.
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 (17), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (6), 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2008
2007
2005
2004
