1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 25 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1932 on, and the census since 1910.
The Narrows post office opened in 1873, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Intermont (1891), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 975 in 19102020 census: 2,093153 years
How historic is Narrows?
A−
More historic than 79% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Narrows post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Narrows’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Narrows is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Narrows’ overall grade.
Virginia towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Virginia town has 3.6 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Narrows’ 129 sits above most of its state (74% of Virginia towns have fewer) while its 25 historic buildings outnumber those of 81% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±9.5 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 Narrows’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Settled as early as 1778, a post office was opened in 1873 and the town was incorporated in 1904.
From 1946 to 1950, the New River Rebels were a minor league baseball team representing Narrows and Pearisburg, Virginia . The New River Rebels were a member of the Class D Appalachian League from 1946 to 1950. The Rebels captured Appalachian League Championships in 1946 and 1947. The New River Rebels were an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox in 1946 and played at Ragsdale Field.
On December 22, 1996, Airborne Express Flight 827 crashed in Narrows, killing all six people on board.
The Narrows Commercial Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
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.
Narrows’s post office has been open since 1873. Another post office, Intermont, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Narrows
1873–today
Intermont
1891–1895
18701950today
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Narrows
FairviewHale
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Narrows’ history
What year was Narrows founded?
The Narrows post office opened in 1873, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Narrows rank for history?
Narrows is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns. 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 Narrows?
One place: the Narrows Commercial Historic District (listed 2014).
How old are the homes in Narrows?
33% of Narrows’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.5 points), against a typical 1.9% for a Virginia town; the median home was built in 1946.
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 (12), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, 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.
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