Most of Yanceyville was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1973. 8 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 11 buildings. Below: 16 old photos and papers, maps from 1972 on, and the census since 1910.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1794.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Yanceyville’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Yanceyville is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns. 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 Yanceyville’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 Yanceyville’s 108 sits above most of its state (76% of North Carolina towns have fewer) while its 24 historic buildings outnumber those of 80% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1792.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A−. The pre-1940 share (±2.8 points) is firm at this size.
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 Yanceyville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
When Person County was created out of Caswell County in 1791, the original county seat, Leasburg, was close to the eastern newly formed boundary line dividing the two. Commissioners were named in the county formation act to create a new county seat and courthouse near the geographical center of present Caswell County. Hence, the village of Caswell Court House (later Yanceyville) was founded.
By 1810, the village featured a single store, a hattery, two taverns, and around fifteen homes. Not long thereafter, silversmiths, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, coachmakers, and other tradesmen began opening businesses. Additionally, attorneys, doctors, preachers, and politicians were drawn to the area, contributing to its development.
In 1792, according to Wikidata. Yanceyville’s post office opened in 1794, and the census of 1910 counted 338 people here.
How does Yanceyville rank for history?
Yanceyville is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns. 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 Yanceyville?
8 listings: 7 buildings, among them the Caswell County Courthouse (listed 1973, the first), and 1 historic district, the Yanceyville Historic District, with 11 contributing buildings. 24 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Yanceyville?
4% of Yanceyville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.8 points), against a typical 4.1% for a North Carolina town; the median home was built in 1973.
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 (5), the Library of Congress (11), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (8), 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.
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