Fairfield’s post office opened in 1858, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 27% of U.S. towns · #371 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Fairfield was built recently: 0.8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1986. Its Register listing is the Samuel Martin House. Below: 10 old photos and papers, maps from 1902 on, and the census since 1870.
The Fairfield post office opened in 1858, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1859. Three smaller post offices, Tolenas (1872), Vanden (1897) and Thomasson (1907), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 329 in 18702020 census: 119,881168 years
How historic is Fairfield?
C
More historic than 27% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Fairfield post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1859.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Fairfield’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Fairfield is more historic than 27% of U.S. towns, #371 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Fairfield’s overall grade.
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Fairfield ranks #323 on History.
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 Fairfield’s 0.1 sits near the middle of its state (63% of California towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
Newer cities are common at Fairfield’s size: in the typical U.S. city of 100,000 or more, 5% of homes predate 1940.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C+. The pre-1940 share (±0.2 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1859 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
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 Fairfield’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Native Americans such as the Suisun people inhabited the area.
A clipper ship captain from Fairfield, Connecticut, named Robert H. Waterman, parceled out the town in 1856. He entered Fairfield in the race for Solano County seat in 1858, and won it from Benicia. As an inducement, he granted 16 acres (6.5 ha) of land for the construction of county buildings. In 1903, Fairfield was incorporated as a city.
In August 2020, parts of Fairfield were evacuated due to the LNU Lighting Complex Fires, which resulted in the burning of over 315,000 acres (127,476 ha) in five counties, including in nearby Vacaville.
Passages that mention Fairfield, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut, from the settlement of the town in 1639 to 18181889 · page 93Read the page →
Read the text
Whereas ye above sd. Land is granted to ye town of Fairfield by ye sd. Indians, we also manifest or respects unto them, yt wee doe engage upon sufficient warning, to cart them their stuffe for them to erect & build a fort, & upon this consideration ye sd.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut, from the settlement of the town in 1639 to 18181889 · page 41Read the page →
Read the text
Johnson and Benjamin Turney afterwards settled at Pequonnock. There is ground for believing that some of this company first settled at Blackrock and very soon after went to Pequonnock. The others remained at Fairfield. Several joined the settlement this year from other towns, among whom were William Hill, sr., his son William Hill, jr., Richard Westcoat, John Green, Charles Taintor, Samuel Gregory, James Beers, Jehu and John Burr, with their kinsman John Cable. Besides these there are others, of which mention will be made hereafter. The Rev. John
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Fairfield, 1858 to 1992
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Fairfield post office opened in 1858, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1859.
How does Fairfield rank for history?
Fairfield is more historic than 27% of U.S. towns, #371 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 Fairfield?
One place: the Samuel Martin House (listed 1977).
How old are the homes in Fairfield?
0.8% of Fairfield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1986.
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 (2), the Library of Congress (10), 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 old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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