More historic than 11% of U.S. towns · #160 of 177 in Tennessee. What drives it
Most of Hopewell was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1985. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1935 on, and the census since 2000.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hopewell is more historic than 11% of U.S. towns, #160 of 177 in Tennessee. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hopewell’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 Hopewell’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (16% of Tennessee towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.1 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Hopewell’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The Hopewell Community was first settled by European Americans in the early 1820s when the area was still part of the Cherokee Nation, and has the distinction of being home to the first church and post office in Bradley County. The community reportedly received its name when the first church was built and someone said "I hope they do well." Candies Creek (originally Candy's Creek), which flows through the community, was originally called "Little Kiuka Creek" by the Cherokees, and was named for Henry Candy, a Cherokee who relocated his home to a location along the creek around 1817. The Candy's Creek Mission was organized along the creek in the community in 1824 by Samuel Worcester and William Holland as a Christian mission to the Cherokees. Both were based at the Brainerd Mission in Chattanooga. A school was begun at the mission on February 2, 1825, and other nearby schools were establ…
Hopewell is more historic than 11% of U.S. towns, #160 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.
How old are the homes in Hopewell?
3% of Hopewell’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.1 points), against a typical 4.9% for a Tennessee town; the median home was built in 1985.
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 the Library of Congress (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.
Date?
