Maryville dates to 1785, and 24 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 79% of U.S. towns · #20 of 177 in Tennessee. What drives it
Most of Maryville was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1985. 24 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 130 buildings between them. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1850.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1800.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Maryville’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Maryville is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #20 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 Maryville’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 Maryville’s 47.9 sits above most of its state (83% of Tennessee towns have fewer) while its 155 historic buildings outnumber those of 92% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1785.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share (±1.4 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 Maryville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The Great Indian Warpath (which was used to build the route US-411) was long used by the indigenous peoples of the area. A Cherokee village known as "Elajay" was situated at the confluence of Ellejoy Creek (named after the village) and the Little River. Its site was near the modern Heritage High School. Ensign Henry Timberlake passed through the village in 1762 while returning from his expedition to the Overhill villages to the west. He reported that it had been abandoned.
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 Maryville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1935Maryville 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 Maryville.
Every building
Maryville, building by building, 1887–1925
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.
1887Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this view1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Tennessee - Blount County - Maryville - ED 5-10, ED 5-11, ED 5-12, ED 5-13, ED …, 1880
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Maryville’s page.
In 1785, according to Wikidata. Maryville’s post office opened in 1800, and the census of 1850 counted 513 people here.
How does Maryville rank for history?
Maryville is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #20 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 Maryville?
24 listings: 21 buildings, among them the Anderson Hall (listed 1975, the first), 2 historic districts, the Maryville College Historic District and the Indiana Avenue Historic District, with 130 contributing buildings, and 1 structure. 155 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Maryville?
7% of Maryville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.4 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), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (11), the National Register of Historic Places (24), 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 and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1880
1909
