More historic than 26% of U.S. towns · #280 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Most of Freeport was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1969. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1926 on, and the census since 1920.
The Freeport post office opened in 1898, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1912. Another post office, Velasco (1835), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 1,798 in 19202020 census: 10,696128 years
How historic is Freeport?
C
More historic than 26% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Freeport post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1912.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Freeport’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Freeport is more historic than 26% of U.S. towns, #280 of 642 in Texas. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Freeport’s overall grade.
Few Texas towns list much on the Register (a typical Texas town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Freeport’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (34% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be C. The pre-1940 share (±2.3 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1912.
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 Freeport’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Freeport was founded as a European-American settlement in November 1912 by the Freeport Sulphur Company. The population was 300. However, by 1929, that population had grown to 3,500, and to 4,100 by 1939, influencing a steady increase of economic expansion in Freeport.
By 1937, a Freeport School District had been established, consisting of several segregated schools and 27 teachers. There were two white schools, one black school, and a white high school.
Freeport's most substantial economic growth began with the construction of Dow Chemical Company facilities in the city during 1939. As of 2007, this company is the community's largest employer. As of 2011, Freeport had Dow's largest single manufacturing site in the 21st century.
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 Freeport post office opened in 1898, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1912.
How does Freeport rank for history?
Freeport is more historic than 26% of U.S. towns, #280 of 642 in Texas. 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.
How old are the homes in Freeport?
7% of Freeport’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.3 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1969.
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), 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.
1917
1917
