Haines’ post office opened in 1882, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 58% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Haines was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1984. 3 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Fort William H. Seward, a National Historic Landmark, and a historic district with 17 buildings.
How Haines began
When was Haines founded?
The Haines post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name.
How historic is Haines?
More historic than 58% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
What drives Haines’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Haines is more historic than 58% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
Alaska towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Alaska town has 3.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Haines’ 120 sits above most of its state (100% of Alaska towns have fewer) while its 21 historic buildings outnumber those of 80% of U.S. towns.
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 →
3 listings protect 21 historic buildings
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. One is a National Historic Landmark, the highest tier.
★ LandmarkAll 3 listings
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Old corners and burying grounds
Haines’s post office has been open since 1882.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Questions about Haines’ history
What year was Haines founded?
The Haines post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Haines rank for history?
Haines is more historic than 58% 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 Haines?
Three places: the Fort William H. Seward, the Government Indian School (1980) and the Charlie Anway Cabin (2001).
How old are the homes in Haines?
7% of Haines’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.3 points), against a typical 0.3% for an Alaska town; the median home was built in 1984.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Where this page comes from
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 the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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.