Springfield dates to 1798, and 7 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 75% of U.S. towns · #26 of 177 in Tennessee. What drives it
7 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 33 buildings. Most of Springfield was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1890.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1800.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Springfield’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Springfield is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #26 of 177 in Tennessee. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Springfield’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 Springfield’s 22.3 sits above most of its state (76% of Tennessee towns have fewer) while its 43 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1798.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A−. The pre-1940 share (±1.9 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 Springfield’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
US 431 and US 41 have had different routes through Springfield. US 41 formerly had a more eastern route, now called Old Greenbrier Road. A portion of the old route was abandoned in the 1990s due to landscaping made during the construction of a railroad. The practical usage of the road was replaced by the 17th Avenue Connector. The old pavement is still visible from Bill Jones Industrial Drive. Beyond that, it ran more westerly through downtown Springfield, now called Batts Boulevard and Main Street. A portion of the old route north of downtown was removed due to the construction of a quarry. US 41 was rerouted onto Memorial Boulevard, a 4 lane highway, around 1961 after its completion.
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 1798, according to Wikidata. Springfield’s post office opened in 1800, and the census of 1890 counted 1,372 people here.
How does Springfield rank for history?
Springfield is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #26 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 Springfield?
7 listings: 6 buildings, among them the Mansfield Cheatham House (listed 1978, the first), and 1 historic district, the Springfield Town Square Historic District, with 33 contributing buildings. 43 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Springfield?
7% of Springfield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.9 points), against a typical 4.9% for a Tennessee town; the median home was built in 1987.
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 (8), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (7), 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.
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