Most of Greenback was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1980. 3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 2 buildings. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1935 on, and the census since 1960.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1883.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Greenback’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Greenback is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Greenback’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 Greenback’s 131 sits above most of its state (91% of Tennessee towns have fewer) while its 18 historic buildings outnumber those of 79% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1810.
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 (±5.2 points).
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Greenback’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Located near modern-day Greenback, Morganton Ferry (initially called Wear's Ferry) was an important crossing of the Little Tennessee. It was established in the late 18th century, and had grown into a small community known as "Portville" by 1810. The community was chartered as "Morganton" after local merchant Gideon Morgan in 1813. Around this time, the Tellico agent relocated to Fort Southwest Point (now Kingston), and a road quickly developed between this fort and Maryville. Since the road crossed the Little Tennessee at the Morganton Ferry, the road became known locally as Morganton Road.
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
Greenback, census by census
Grew from 285 people in 1960 to 1,102 in 2020, 3 times over.
7 censuses, 1960–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Greenback’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Old corners and burying grounds
Greenback’s post office has been open since 1883.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Jena
1cemetery inside Greenback
Rollins
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Greenback’s history
What year was Greenback founded?
In 1810, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Greenback’s post office opened in 1883, and the census of 1960 counted 285 people here.
How does Greenback rank for history?
Greenback is more historic than 80% 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 Greenback?
Three places: the Craigs Chapel AME Zion Church (listed 2001), the Greenback Depot (2013) and the McCollum Farm (1978).
How old are the homes in Greenback?
10% of Greenback’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.2 points), against a typical 4.9% for a Tennessee town; the median home was built in 1980.
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) 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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