Troy’s post office opened in 1846, and 13% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 77% of U.S. towns · #60 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 6 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1908 on, and the census since 1870.
Founding year: the first Troy post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Troy’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Troy is more historic than 77% of U.S. towns, #60 of 290 in North Carolina. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Troy’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 Troy’s 27.3 sits near the middle of its state (63% of North Carolina towns have fewer) while its 8 historic buildings outnumber those of 74% 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 is a Census survey estimate (±4.9 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 Troy’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Troy lies in an area once known for its vast longleaf pine forests; much of the town's early development came from the harvesting of those trees for lumber and turpentine. Originally known as "West Old Fields", the name was changed to Troy in 1843 when the county seat of Montgomery County was moved there from Old Lawrenceville. The town was incorporated in 1853.
The coming of the Asheboro and Aberdeen Railroad as well as the gold mining industry surrounding the town accelerated growth in the late 19th century. By the 20th century textile mills and lumber mills were contributing heavily to Troy's economy.
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.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
People over time
Troy, census by census
Between 67 and 3,430 people in every census since 1870.
15 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Troy’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Places now gone and burying grounds
Troy’s post office has been open since 1846.
Gone or out of use
Birds Nest Airportairport
1cemetery inside Troy
Southside
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Troy’s history
What year was Troy founded?
The Troy post office opened in 1846, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Troy rank for history?
Troy is more historic than 77% of U.S. towns, #60 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 Troy?
Three places: the Montgomery County Courthouse (listed 1979), the Hotel Troy (2006) and the Troy Residential Historic District (2006).
How old are the homes in Troy?
13% of Troy’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.9 points), against a typical 4.1% for a North Carolina town; the median home was built in 1972.
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 (12), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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.
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