The Versailles post office opened in 1860, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Jacksonville (1826), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 1,163 in 18802020 census: 2,692166 years
How historic is Versailles?
B
More historic than 64% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Versailles post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Versailles’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Versailles is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #499 of 993 in Ohio. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Versailles’ overall grade.
Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Versailles’ 3.7 sits near the middle of its state (59% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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 is a Census survey estimate (±6.2 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 Versailles’ 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.
Founded in 1819, the village is named after the city of Versailles in France. Versailles was originally named Jacksonville, in honor of Andrew Jackson and his victory at the Battle of New Orleans. Later on, as a large number of early residents were of French descent, it was suggested that the village's name be changed to "Versailles" in memory of their homeland. Versailles became the new name of the village in 1837.
Passages that mention Versailles, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Darke County, Ohio, containing a history of the county1880 · page 293Read the page →
Read the text
Versailles, platted in 1819, and duly incorporated in 1855, and located in Wayne Township ; Union City, a flourishing place on the State line, platted in 1838, and incorporated in 1853, and a lively railroad center ; Gettysburg, incorporated in 1866 ; Dallas, in 1867 ; Arcanum, platted in 1849 and incorporated in 1858. and Bradford, platted in 1867, and incorporated in 1871. The villages are thus enumerated : Minatown, laid out in 1818 ; Fort Jefferson, same j'ear. remarkable as
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Darke County, Ohio, containing a history of the county1880 · page 416Read the page →
Read the text
Versailles is the post town of Wayne Township. It was laid out by Silas Atchison in the 3Tear 1819, and at that time was known as Jacksonville. A school house was erected in 1821. There is now a good high school in the village. In 1820, the Baptists organized a society under the lead of Bev. Thomas Childers.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Darke County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time ..1914 · page 402Read the page →
Read the text
'"The Versailles Policy" — The oldest and largest weekly paper published in Darke county outside of Greenville is the Versailles Policy, which was founded in 1875 by Cook and Wade under the name of "Versailles Independent." Later its proprietors were Hathaway, then Bidlack and Linn, who changed the name to 'The Versailles Policy." About 1883 Wm. Linn came to Greenville and entered into a partnership with \\'. A. Browne, Sr., to publish the new "Democratic
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Darke County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time ..1914 · page 604Read the page →
Read the text
One of the moving spirits in this settlement was Thomas Childers, the old order or "Hardshell" Baptist preacher previously mentioned, who settled about one mile southwest of Versailles. Here a church was erected about 1819 or 1820, being probably the second church erected in the county. Among the families connected with this congregation were the Childers, Carlocks and McDonalds of the border Stillwater settlement and the Wards, Bakers, Yorks and Holes of the
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
Versailles, 1826 to 1994
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds
Versailles’s post office has been open since 1860. Another post office, Jacksonville, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Jacksonville
1826–1860
Versailles
1860–today
18201920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
North Jacksonville
1cemetery inside Versailles
Greenlawn
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Versailles’ history
What year was Versailles founded?
The Versailles post office opened in 1860, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Versailles rank for history?
Versailles is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #499 of 993 in Ohio. 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 Versailles?
One place: the Versailles Town Hall and Wayne Township House (listed 1981).
How old are the homes in Versailles?
27% of Versailles’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.2 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1960.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.
2025
2015
2009
2009
2009
2004