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A−History
History · Avalon

Avalon’s post office opened in 1889, and 47% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 85% of U.S. towns · #20 of 847 in California. What drives it

4 places in town are on the National Register. Below: 17 old photos and papers, maps from 1894 on, and the census since 1920.

1889first post office
4on the National Register
47%homes built before 1940
17old photos & papers
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Avalon’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Avalon began

When was Avalon founded?

1889

The Avalon post office opened in 1889, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1913.

First census: 586 in 19202020 census: 3,460137 years

How historic is Avalon?

A−

More historic than 85% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Avalon post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1913.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Avalon’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Avalon is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #20 of 847 in California. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Avalon’s overall grade.
Founding era1889, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194046.7% of homes (±14.1) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register4 listings, 6 historic buildings, 18.0 per 10,000 residents · typical CA town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 85%
NewerOlder
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 98%

Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Avalon’s 18.0 sits above most of its state (94% of California towns have fewer) while its 6 historic buildings outnumber those of 72% 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 (±14.1 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1913.

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 Avalon’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Mapped building by building6 fire insurance maps, 1894 to 1924, drew every building in Avalon.A town in old photos17 old photos, postcards and papers, 1889–1900.Old housesHalf of Avalon’s homes were built before 1946.Landmarks on the Register4 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · Every building

Avalon, building by building, 1894–1924

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 year, then a sheet.

Avalon fire insurance map, 1894, sheet 11894Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

By decade

Avalon, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s–1890s11 items
Catalina-18891889Catalina-1889Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, Cal1890Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, CalHARBOR OF AVALON, CATALINA ISLAND1895HARBOR OF AVALON, CATALINA ISLANDMoonlight excursion on Avalon harbor, Santa Catalina Island, ca.1896-1910 (CHS-1613)c. 1896Moonlight excursion on Avalon harbor, Santa Catalina …Avalon and harbor, looking over the city toward the sea, Santa Catalina Island, ca.1897-1905 (CHS-224)c. 1897Avalon and harbor, looking over the city toward the s…Hotel Metropole and Beach, Avalon, Santa Catalina, Califc. 1898Hotel Metropole and Beach, Avalon, Santa Catalina, Ca…Sea Bathing, Avalon, Santa Catalina, Calif1898Sea Bathing, Avalon, Santa Catalina, Calif102. The Miramar - an Avalon Boarding House, 18991899102. The Miramar - an Avalon Boarding House, 1899Avalon from the north, Santa Catalina Islandc. 1899Avalon from the north, Santa Catalina IslandSanta Catalina1899Santa CatalinaAvalon from the north, Santa Catalina Island1899Avalon from the north, Santa Catalina Island
1900s6 items
Avalon harbor viewed from Sugar Loaf, Santa Catalina Island, ca.1900 (CHS-1602)c. 1900Avalon harbor viewed from Sugar Loaf, Santa Catalina …Eight panoramic views of Avalon harbor, ca.1900 (CHS-1674)c. 1900Eight panoramic views of Avalon harbor, ca.1900 (CHS-…Panoramic view of Avalon Harbor at a distance from the south, showing hills in foreground, Santa Catalina Island, ca.19…c. 1900Panoramic view of Avalon Harbor at a distance from th…Panoramic view of Avalon Harbor from the north, showing boats in the harbor, Santa Catalina Island, ca.1900 (CHS-885)c. 1900Panoramic view of Avalon Harbor from the north, showi…View of Avalon Harbor, Santa Catalina Island, ca.1900 (CHS-884)c. 1900View of Avalon Harbor, Santa Catalina Island, ca.1900…Harbor and Avalon Greek Theater1900Harbor and Avalon Greek Theater
1910s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
The story

How Avalon came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Avalon.

Read it all →

Prior to the modern era, Avalon Bay was inhabited by people of the Gabrielino/Tongva tribe. The island was a major source of soapstone to the Tongva, who used the material to make stone vessels for cooking. The Tongva called the island Pimu or Pimugna and referred to themselves as the Pimugnans. However, by the 1830s, the entire island's native population had either died off, or had undergone forcible relocation to the mainland to work in the missions or as ranch hands for the many private land owners.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Avalon, 1889 to 1950

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1889In the archiveCatalina-1889
  3. 1889Post officeThe Avalon post office opens
  4. 1890BuiltPeter Gano House is built
  5. 1890In the archiveAvalon, Santa Catalina Island, Cal
  6. 20th century
  7. 1900In the archiveAvalon harbor viewed from Sugar Loaf, Santa Catalina Island, ca.1900 (CHS-1602)
  8. 1930Born hereSylvester Donovan Ryan is born here
  9. 1943On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 1950Born hereGregory Harrison is born here
On the map

Avalon on the map, 1943 to 1980

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Avalon. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Avalon on the 1943 USGS mapAvalon on the 1950 USGS mapAvalon on the 1980 USGS map1943Santa Catalina East 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 Avalon.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Catalina-1889
Retake this viewCatalina-1889, 1889

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Avalon’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

4 historic places in Avalon

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
6
each building in a district counts
first listed
1983
Peter Gano House
Peter Gano House, built 1890Wrigley, William, Jr., Summer CottageTuna Club of AvalonChristian Science Society
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Queen Anne1
Colonial Revival1
Bungalow/Craftsman1
Peter Gano HouseQueen Anne · Built 1890
Wrigley, William, Jr., Summer CottageColonial Revival
Tuna Club of AvalonBungalow/Craftsman
All 4 listings
Christian Science SocietyBuilding · listed 2017

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Avalon, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,000192019401960198020002020Peak: 3,728

Between 586 and 3,728 people in every census since 1920.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Avalon’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Avalon

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Gregory HarrisonAmerican actor · b. 1950
S
Sylvester Donovan RyanBishop · b. 1930
Help out

Finish Avalon’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewCatalina-1889: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Avalon’s history

What year was Avalon founded?

The Avalon post office opened in 1889, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1913.

How does Avalon rank for history?

Avalon is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #20 of 847 in California. 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 Avalon?

4 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Peter Gano House (listed 1983, the first). 6 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Avalon?

47% of Avalon’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±14.1 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1946.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

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 Wikimedia Commons (13), the Library of Congress (4), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (4), 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.