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C−History
History · Ashland City

Ashland City dates to 1856, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 24% of U.S. towns · #143 of 177 in Tennessee. What drives it

Most of Ashland City was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2002. Its Register listing is the Cheatham County Courthouse. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1957 on, and the census since 1870.

1856founded
1on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Ashland City’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Ashland City began

When was Ashland City founded?

1856

Ashland City dates its founding to 1856 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 121 in 18702020 census: 5,193170 years

How historic is Ashland City?

C−

More historic than 24% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1860.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Ashland City’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ashland City is more historic than 24% of U.S. towns, #143 of 177 in Tennessee. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Ashland City’s overall grade.
Founding era1856, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19401.8% of homes (±1.8) · typical TN town 4.9% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register1 listing, 1.8 per 10,000 residents · typical TN town 6.1 · U.S. 2.4C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 24%
NewerOlder
Tennessee towns of 2,500+ (177)Ahead of 19%

Tennessee towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Tennessee town has 6.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Ashland City’s 1.8 sits near the middle of its state (38% of Tennessee 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 C. The pre-1940 share (±1.8 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1856.

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 Ashland City’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Ashland City’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Ashland City’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFlooded areas Cumberland River, Ashland…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Ashland City came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Ashland City.

Read it all →

Ashland City was created in 1856 as a county seat for the newly established Cheatham County. The county's commissioners purchased the initial 50 acres (0.20 km2) of land (now the courthouse square) from James Lenox, and a temporary courthouse was erected shortly thereafter. The temporary structure was replaced by the present courthouse in 1869. Ashland City was officially incorporated in 1859.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Ashland City, 1856 to 1983

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1856
    FoundingAshland City is established
  3. 1860Post officeThe Ashland City post office opens
  4. 1869BuiltCheatham County Courthouse is built
  5. 20th century
  6. 1913Born hereConstance Bannister is born here
  7. 1923Born hereRedd Stewart is born here
  8. 1957On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1970In the archiveFlooded areas Cumberland River, Ashland City, Tennessee
  10. 1983Born hereCaleb Plant is born here
By decade

Ashland City, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1970s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1970s1 item
Flooded areas Cumberland River, Ashland City, Tennessee1970Flooded areas Cumberland River, Ashland City, Tenness…
1980s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Today8 recent
Outdoor education STEMs into great learning opportunity 130502-A-EO110-0172013Outdoor education STEMs into great learning opportuni…Outdoor education STEMs into great learning opportunity 130502-A-EO110-0142013Outdoor education STEMs into great learning opportuni…Outdoor education STEMs into great learning opportunity 130502-A-EO110-0122013Outdoor education STEMs into great learning opportuni…Outdoor education STEMs into great learning opportunity 130502-A-EO110-0102013Outdoor education STEMs into great learning opportuni…Nashville teachers graduate STEM curriculum with Corps externships2013Nashville teachers graduate STEM curriculum with Corp…Bearwallow Church of Christ - Today2013Bearwallow Church of Christ - TodayFEMA - 44189 - Flooding survivor in Tennessee2010FEMA - 44189 - Flooding survivor in TennesseeFEMA - 44188 - Road damage in Ashland City, TN2010FEMA - 44188 - Road damage in Ashland City, TN
On the map

Ashland City on the map, 1957 to 1983

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

Ashland City on the 1957 USGS mapAshland City on the 1983 USGS map1957Ashland City 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 Ashland City.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Flooded areas Cumberland River, Ashland City, Tennessee
Retake this viewFlooded areas Cumberland River, Ashland City, Tennessee, 1970

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Ashland City’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Ashland City

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1976
Cheatham County Courthouse
Cheatham County Courthouse, built 1869
Buildings
Cheatham County CourthouseBuilt 1869

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

People over time

Ashland City, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,500188019001920194019601980200020205,193

Grew from 121 people in 1870 to 5,193 in 2020, more than tenfold.

15 censuses, 1870–2020.

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

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Ashland City

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

See all →
C
Caleb PlantAmerican boxer · b. 1983
C
Constance BannisterAmerican photographer · b. 1913
R
Redd StewartAmerican country singer/songwriter · b. 1923
Places that used to be

Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Ashland City’s post office has been open since 1860.

Hamlets and corners on the map
GravelotteSulphur Springs
Gone or out of use
Cheatham County Poor HousebuildingKnights FerrycrossingMarrowbone SchoolschoolSycamore Powder Mill Landinglocale
1cemetery inside Ashland City
Forest Hill

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Nashville194 historic placesB+

Questions about Ashland City’s history

What year was Ashland City founded?

In 1856, according to Wikidata. Ashland City’s post office opened in 1860, and the census of 1870 counted 121 people here.

How does Ashland City rank for history?

Ashland City is more historic than 24% of U.S. towns, #143 of 177 in Tennessee. 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 Ashland City?

One place: the Cheatham County Courthouse (listed 1976).

How old are the homes in Ashland City?

2% of Ashland City’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.8 points), against a typical 4.9% for a Tennessee town; the median home was built in 2002.

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).

From Wikimedia Commons (9), Wikidata (1), 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) 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.