Most of Tappahannock was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1977. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 14 buildings. Below: 2 old photos and papers from 1751 on.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Tappahannock is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Tappahannock’s 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 Tappahannock’s 73.4 sits above most of its state (70% of Virginia towns have fewer) while its 14 historic buildings outnumber those of 78% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1682.
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 (±4.2 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 Tappahannock’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In the mid-1660s, Captain Richard Hobbs had rights to 800 acres south of Gilson's Creek at the Rappahannock River. In 1680, Virginia law required warehouses to be established in port towns, and that year surveyor George Morris created a survey showing Hobbs His Hole Harbour. "Hole" refers to where a ship could drop anchor in a deep part of the water, and thus it was Capt. Hobbs who parked his ship Elizabeth and Mary here in the vicinity of present-day Tappahannock. This area became known as Hobbs Hole.
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.
Lost post offices, old corners and places now gone
Tappahannock’s post office has been open since 1792. Another post office, Hobb's Hole, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Hobb's Hole
1776–1792
Tappahannock
1792–today
17701900today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Brays ForkJacks Fork
Gone or out of use
Tappahannock Municipal Airportairport
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Tappahannock’s history
What year was Tappahannock founded?
In 1682, according to Wikidata. Tappahannock’s post office opened in 1776.
How does Tappahannock rank for history?
Tappahannock is more historic than 76% 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 Tappahannock?
Two places: the Tappahannock Historic District (listed 1973) and the DAW Theatre (2024).
How old are the homes in Tappahannock?
4% of Tappahannock’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.2 points), against a typical 1.9% for a Virginia town; the median home was built in 1977.
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 (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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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