Paris dates to 1823, and 19% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 91% of U.S. towns · #2 of 177 in Tennessee. What drives it
11 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 133 buildings between them. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1880.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1824.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Paris’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Paris is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns, #2 of 177 in Tennessee. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Paris’ 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 Paris’ 137 sits above most of its state (92% of Tennessee towns have fewer) while its 142 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.6 points). Two sources give 1823.
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 Paris’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Every building
Paris, building by building, 1886–1913
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.
The present site of Paris was selected by five commissioners appointed to the task of choosing a county seat at the December 1822 session of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of Henry County. Their choice was a 50-acre (20 ha) site, of which 37.5 acres (15.2 ha) were owned by Joseph Blythe and 12.5 acres (5.1 ha) owned by Peter Ruff; both men donated the land to the county to have the seat there. A public square, streets, alleys, and 104 lots were laid off, and the lots were sold at auction over a two-day period in either March or April 1823.
Passages that mention Paris, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A history of the Henry County commands which served in the Confederate States army, including rosters of the various companies enlisted in Henry County, Tenn. ..1904 · page 231Read the page →
Read the text
Fields and John Paschall were wounded. March 1st, the company was sent to Columbus, Ky., to destroy the stores left there on its evacuation by General Polk. Keturniug to Paris, Major King's Battalion and Stocks' and McCutchen's companies encamped a mile or more west of Paris, on the Dresden road, and were engaged in shipping all the supplies that could
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A history of the Henry County commands which served in the Confederate States army, including rosters of the various companies enlisted in Henry County, Tenn. ..1904 · page 180Read the page →
Read the text
Noveml)er 29, 1861, the companies were assembled at Paris, Tenn., and the regiment organized by the election of field officers. ( The names of officers, both regimental and company, will be found in the proper places on the rolls which follow this history.) On Monday, December 16, the regiment rendezvoused at Paris, and was ordered to go into camp at Union City, whither they were transported by rail. On
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
Paris, 1823 to 1956
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.
In 1823, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Paris’ post office opened in 1824, and the census of 1880 counted 1,767 people here.
How does Paris rank for history?
Paris is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns, #2 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 Paris?
11 listings: 8 buildings, among them the Porter House (listed 1973, the first), and 3 historic districts, the Paris Commercial Historic District, the West Paris Historic District and the North Poplar Historic District, with 133 contributing buildings. 142 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Paris?
19% of Paris’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.6 points), against a typical 4.9% for a Tennessee town; the median home was built in 1971.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (11), 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.
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