Jackson dates to 1821, and 26 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 80% of U.S. towns · #15 of 177 in Tennessee. What drives it
Most of Jackson was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1985. 26 places in town are on the National Register, among them five historic districts with 585 buildings between them. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1850.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1824.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Jackson’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Jackson is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #15 of 177 in Tennessee. 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 Jackson’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 Jackson’s 88.4 sits above most of its state (89% of Tennessee towns have fewer) while its 605 historic buildings outnumber those of 98% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share (±1.2 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1821.
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 Jackson’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
This area was occupied by the historic Chickasaw people at the time of European encounter. They were pushed out by European-American settlers under various treaties with the United States, in actions authorized by the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and ratified by the US Senate.
European-American settlement of Jackson began along the Forked Deer River before 1820, primarily by migrants from eastern areas of the Upper South, such as Virginia and Kentucky. Originally named Alexandria, the city was renamed in 1822 to honor General Andrew Jackson, a hero of the War of 1812. He was later elected as President of the United States.
Passages that mention Jackson, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Andrew Jackson and early Tennessee history1918 · page 603Read the page →
Read the text
careful, economical, business conduct; and from Washington he wrote a letter, which for hard-headed business sagacity, financial shrewdness and conservativeness of management, is hard to excel. Jackson the President, Jackson the leader, and Jackson the politician, were only several phases of Andrew Jackson, who was also Jackson the safe financier and business man. He never wrote a letter more pregnant with supreme devotion to his son's welfare than this one, in
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Andrew Jackson and early Tennessee history1918 · page 444Read the page →
Read the text
But it was on his deathbed where Jackson's dependence on Major Lewis was most clearly shown. General Jackson's death occurred about six o'clock in the afternoon, and Major Lewis got there only a few' hours before, and Jackson said to him : "Major, I am glad to see you, you had like to have been too late," and the Major remained with him until death came. No one would expect one of Jackson's character, career and great antagonisms, where the extreme loyalty
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
Jackson, 1821 to 1981
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Jackson. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1950Jackson South 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 Jackson.
Every building
Jackson, building by building, 1887–1912
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.
Church of ChristchurchConcordia Lutheran ChurchchurchCumberland Episcopal ChurchchurchCumberland Street Baptist ChurchchurchHays Avenue Methodist ChurchchurchMerry High SchoolschoolNorth Jackson SchoolschoolSaint Marys Roman Catholic ChurchchurchWebb-Williamson Hospitalhospital
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Jackson’s history
What year was Jackson founded?
In 1821, according to Wikidata. Jackson’s post office opened in 1824, and the census of 1850 counted 1,006 people here.
How does Jackson rank for history?
Jackson is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #15 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 Jackson?
26 listings: 18 buildings, among them the Jackson Free Library (listed 1975, the first), 5 historic districts with 585 contributing buildings, and 3 sites. 605 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Jackson?
6% of Jackson’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.2 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 Wikimedia Commons (4), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (26), 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.
1880
