Julian’s post office opened in 1870, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 29% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Julian was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. Its Register listing is the Robinson Hotel.
How Julian began
When was Julian founded?
The Julian post office opened in 1870, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Bransom (1870), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
How historic is Julian?
More historic than 29% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
What drives Julian’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Julian is more historic than 29% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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 Julian’s 5.7 sits above most of its state (89% of California towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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 →
1 historic place in Julian
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Famous people close to Julian
Nobody well known was born in Julian itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Julian’s post office has been open since 1870. Another post office, Bransom, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Julian’s history
What year was Julian founded?
The Julian post office opened in 1870, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Julian rank for history?
Julian is more historic than 29% 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 Julian?
One place: the Robinson Hotel (listed 1978).
How old are the homes in Julian?
0.0% of Julian’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.2 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1976.
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 (1), 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.