Livingston’s post office opened in 1822, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 67% of U.S. towns · #49 of 177 in Tennessee. What drives it
Most of Livingston was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1972. Its Register listings are the Roberts, Gov. Albert H., Law Office, the Overton County Courthouse and the American Legion Bohannon Post #4. Its Register listings are the Roberts, Gov. Albert H., Law Office, the Overton County Courthouse and the American Legion Bohannon Post #4. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1944 on, and the census since 1850.
Founding year: the first Livingston post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1833.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Livingston’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Livingston is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #49 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 Livingston’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 Livingston’s 7.5 sits near the middle of its state (57% of Tennessee towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% 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 is a Census survey estimate (±4.9 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1833 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Livingston’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The town of Livingston, Tennessee was purchased on August 10, 1833. Forty acres of land was bought for two hundred dollars. Livingston was named after Edward Livingston (1764–1836), who served as Secretary of State under President Andrew Jackson. In 1833, in a close and controversial election, the residents of Overton County voted to move the county seat from the town of Monroe to Livingston.
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.
The Livingston post office opened in 1822, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1833.
How does Livingston rank for history?
Livingston is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #49 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 Livingston?
Three places: the Roberts, Gov. Albert H., Law Office (listed 1975), the Overton County Courthouse (1980) and the American Legion Bohannon Post #4 (2012).
How old are the homes in Livingston?
9% of Livingston’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.9 points), against a typical 4.9% for a Tennessee town; the median home was built in 1972.
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 (10), Wikidata (1), 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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