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History · Jackson

Jackson dates to 1741, and 12% of its homes were built before 1940

4 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 168 buildings. Below: maps from 1974 on and the census since 1850.

1741founded
4on the National Register
12%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Jackson began

When was Jackson founded?

1741

Jackson dates its founding to 1741 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1850.

First census: 300 in 18502020 census: 430285 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1836.The full story ↓

What stands out about Jackson’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Jackson Historic District takes in 168 historic buildings.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Jackson are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 853 in 1950; 430 people lived here in 2020.Older than the countryEstablished in 1741, 35 years before the Declaration of Independence.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

4 listings protect 173 historic buildings

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

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
173
each building in a district counts
first listed
1977
Northampton County Courthouse Square
Northampton County Courthouse Square, built 1858Church of the Saviour and Cemetery, built 1898Amis-Bragg HouseJackson Historic District, built 1953
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival3
Gothic Revival2
Federal1
Queen Anne1
Colonial Revival1
Late Gothic Revival1
Northampton County Courthouse SquareGreek Revival · Built 1858
Church of the Saviour and CemeteryGothic Revival · Built 1898
Amis-Bragg HouseGreek Revival
Jackson Historic DistrictFederal · Built 1953

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

Help out

Start Jackson’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Jackson’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
People over time

Jackson, census by census

02004006008001850190019502000Peak: 853

Peaked at 853 in 1950; 430 people lived here in 2020.

17 censuses, 1850–2020.

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

The story

How Jackson came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Jackson.

Read it all →

The town of Jackson traces its origins to the creation of Northampton County in 1741 by the Colonial Assembly of North Carolina. The location was chosen to be a central site for the courthouse. Initially known as Northampton Courthouse, the area began to develop around the courthouse square. By 1762, Jeptha Atherton had purchased the courthouse lands, and by 1798, the area had a tavern and a storehouse.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Jackson in 1904

Passages that mention Jackson, cut from the printed page as they were published.

Benton, Thomas H., i, 91; duel with Jackson, 103, note, 104, 214; account of Jackson's duel with Dickinson, 170-76; colonel of militia, 231; makes Jackson's acquaintance, 232, 233; young lawyer, 233, 234; powers of oratory, 235; a firm supporter and friend of Jackson, 233, 234, 235;
History of Andrew Jackson1904 · page 413Read the page →
Read the text

Benton, Thomas H., i, 91; duel with Jackson, 103, note, 104, 214; account of Jackson's duel with Dickinson, 170-76; colonel of militia, 231; makes Jackson's acquaintance, 232, 233; young lawyer, 233, 234; powers of oratory, 235; a firm supporter and friend of Jackson, 233, 234, 235;

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
bate with Hayne, 238, 300; defeats Van Buren's nomination for Presidency, 254; favors delay in issue of the Bank, 256; supports Jackson, 294, 296; friendly relations with Jackson, 295-300; estimate of Jackson, 297, 298; Jackson's faith in, 298, 299; alleged bribery of, 298,
History of Andrew Jackson1904 · page 427Read the page →
Read the text

bate with Hayne, 238, 300; defeats Van Buren's nomination for Presidency, 254; favors delay in issue of the Bank, 256; supports Jackson, 294, 296; friendly relations with Jackson, 295-300; estimate of Jackson, 297, 298; Jackson's faith in, 298, 299; alleged bribery of, 298,

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

Jackson, 1741 to 1974

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1741
    FoundingJackson is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1836Post officeThe Jackson post office opens
  5. 1858BuiltNorthampton County Courthouse Square is built
  6. 1898BuiltChurch of the Saviour and Cemetery is built
  7. 20th century
  8. 1908Born hereAmanda E. Peele is born here
  9. 1923Born hereBrad E. Bradley is born here
  10. 1950CensusPopulation peaks at 853
  11. 1953BuiltJackson Historic District is built
  12. 1974On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Jackson, decade by decade

Today8 recent
Northampton County Jail2019Northampton County JailNorthampton County Courthouse, North Carolina2019Northampton County Courthouse, North CarolinaBuildings in2019Buildings inNorthampton County Courthouse Square2017Northampton County Courthouse SquareChurch of the Saviour2017Church of the SaviourBank of Northampton 22017Bank of Northampton 2Amis-Bragg House2017Amis-Bragg HouseNCMap-doton-Jackson2004NCMap-doton-Jackson
On the map

Jackson on the map, 1974 to 1985

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

Jackson on the 1974 USGS mapJackson on the 1985 USGS map1974Jackson 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 Jackson.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Jackson

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

See all →
A
Amanda E. PeeleAfrican/American biologist and activist · b. 1908
Brad E. BradleyAmerican politician · b. 1923

Questions about Jackson’s history

What year was Jackson founded?

In 1741, according to Wikidata. Jackson’s post office opened in 1836, and the census of 1850 counted 300 people here.

What is on the National Register in Jackson?

4 listings: 3 buildings, among them the Northampton County Courthouse Square (listed 1977, the first), and 1 historic district, the Jackson Historic District, with 168 contributing buildings. 173 historic buildings in all.

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (8), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (4), 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 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.