Bartlett dates to 1829, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 45% of U.S. towns · #92 of 177 in Tennessee. What drives it
Most of Bartlett was built recently: 0.8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1992. Below: maps from 1960 on and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1866.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Bartlett’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bartlett is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns, #92 of 177 in Tennessee. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bartlett’s overall grade.
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 Bartlett’s 1.1 sits near the middle of its state (35% of Tennessee towns have fewer) while its 6 historic buildings outnumber those of 72% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1829.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to B+. The pre-1940 share (±0.5 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 Bartlett’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Bartlett, originally called "Union Depot", first served as the last major Tennessean depot along the westward stagecoach route from Nashville. It later shifted to serve as a rail station after the stagecoach route was replaced by the Memphis & Ohio Railroad. An agricultural community gradually emerged around the depot and subsequent station that saw little growth until after the American Civil War.
In 1829, according to Wikidata. Bartlett’s post office opened in 1866, and the census of 1870 counted 244 people here.
How does Bartlett rank for history?
Bartlett is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns, #92 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 Bartlett?
Three places: the Davies Manor (listed 1975), the Nicholas Gotten House (2002) and the John H. McFadden House (1994).
How old are the homes in Bartlett?
0.8% of Bartlett’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 4.9% for a Tennessee town; the median home was built in 1992.
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 (4), 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) 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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