West Columbia’s post office opened in 1905, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 33% of U.S. towns · #224 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Most of West Columbia was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. Its Register listing is the Varner-Hogg Plantation. Below: maps from 1926 on and the census since 1940.
Founding year: the first West Columbia post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives West Columbia’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, West Columbia is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns, #224 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of West Columbia’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 West Columbia’s 24.9 sits above most of its state (91% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 9 historic buildings outnumber those of 75% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.1 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 West Columbia’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Columbia was established in 1826 by Josiah Hughes Bell when the town was laid out two miles west of Marion, later known as East Columbia. Columbia served as the capital of the Republic of Texas from September 1836 until the government relocated to Houston in April 1837. The town hosted the First Congress of the Republic of Texas, which convened on October 3, 1836; Sam Houston was inaugurated as president on October 22. The House of Representatives convened in a two-story frame house, while the Senate met in a smaller house. On November 30, 1836, Congress convened in joint session and chose to relocate the seat of government to Houston, citing Columbia’s inadequate accommodations for government personnel. President Houston ordered the move on December 15. On December 27, 1836, Secretary of State Stephen F. Austin died at the home of George B. McKinstry in Columbia.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of West Columbia. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1952West Columbia 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 West Columbia.
Every building
West Columbia, building by building, 1926
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 sheet.
The West Columbia post office opened in 1905, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does West Columbia rank for history?
West Columbia is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns, #224 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.
What is on the National Register in West Columbia?
One place: the Varner-Hogg Plantation (listed 1980).
How old are the homes in West Columbia?
3% of West Columbia’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.1 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas 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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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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