Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Most of Newland was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1966. Its Register listings are the Avery County Courthouse, the Avery County Jail and the Edwin Cochran Guy House.
Newland dates its founding to 1911 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1912.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Newland’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Newland.
Before its founding, the area was known as "Old Fields of Toe". It was an early muster ground in the campaign against Indians and before the Battle of Kings Mountain. On November 9, 1783, the land was granted to Colonel Waightstill Avery.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
BuiltAvery County Jail is built
Born hereMax Roach is born here
Born herePaul Johnson is born here
Born hereDudley Greene is born hereThe country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
In 1911, according to Wikidata. Newland’s post office opened in 1912.
Three places: the Avery County Courthouse (listed 1979), the Avery County Jail (1999) and the Edwin Cochran Guy House (2021).
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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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