Whiteville dates to 1800, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 60% of U.S. towns · #67 of 177 in Tennessee. What drives it
Most of Whiteville was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 4 buildings. Below: maps from 1959 on and the census since 1860.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Whiteville is more historic than 60% of U.S. towns, #67 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 Whiteville’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 Whiteville’s 11.0 sits above most of its state (65% of Tennessee towns have fewer) while its 5 historic buildings outnumber those of 70% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1800.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.6 points).
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 Whiteville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Whiteville yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Whiteville is a town in Hardeman County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,606 at the 2020 census and 4,638 at the 2010 census, Whiteville is the location of two privately owned prisons, Whiteville Correctional Facility and Hardeman County Correctional Center. Whiteville is also home to Allen-White School, a former Rosenwald school that was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Whiteville was founded in the early 1800s as a trading post, and was formally incorporated in 1901.The town and its economy grew primarily through cotton production.
Whiteville was established in 1800. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 4,638 to 2,606 (-44%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
In 1800, according to Wikidata. Whiteville’s post office opened in 1835, and the census of 1860 counted 186 people here.
How does Whiteville rank for history?
Whiteville is more historic than 60% of U.S. towns, #67 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 Whiteville?
Two places: the Allen-White School (listed 2005) and the Robertson Family Farm (2007).
How old are the homes in Whiteville?
9% of Whiteville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.6 points), against a typical 4.9% for a Tennessee town; the median home was built in 1975.
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 (1), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.
2010
