The Sebastopol post office opened in 1867, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1902. Another post office, Analy (1860), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 197 in 18802020 census: 7,521159 years
How historic is Sebastopol?
B
More historic than 63% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Sebastopol post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1902.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Sebastopol’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Sebastopol is more historic than 63% of U.S. towns, #83 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Sebastopol’s overall grade.
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 Sebastopol’s 5.4 sits above most of its state (88% of California towns have fewer) while its 4 listings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.3 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1902.
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 Sebastopol’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
1888Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
On the National Register
4 historic places in Sebastopol
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
4
each building in a district counts
first listed
1978
Gold Ridge Farm
BuildingsSites
Architectural styles listings
Queen Anne1
Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements1
The settlement was originally named Pine Grove. The name change to Sebastopol has historically been attributed to a bar fight in the late 1850s, which was allegedly compared by a bystander to the long Allied siege of the seaport of Sevastopol (1854–1855) during the Crimean War of 1853–1856. The original name survives in the name of the Pine Grove General Store downtown.
Passages that mention Sebastopol, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Sonoma County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county, who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present time1911 · page 1080Read the page →
Read the text
As the first pioneer in what is now the thriving town of Sebastopol, John Walker took a leading part in the building up of his community as well as the entire county. When Sebastopol was struggling to progress from the stage station period of her early history and have a branch railroad pass through the town, John Walker was a leading spirit in the contention which resulted before this object was gained. When the last spike was driven and the dav for jubilation set apart, at the unanimous desire of the entire community Mr.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
An illustrated history of Sonoma County, California. Containing a history of the county of Sonoma from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time1889 · page 283Read the page →
Read the text
as early as 184-4. In 1846 he built an adobe house on the western end of the rancho, within the present limits of the township, and near the present site of the town of Sebastopol. This was doubtless the first house ever iaiilt in the township. The remains of it are still standing.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
An illustrated history of Sonoma County, California. Containing a history of the county of Sonoma from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time1889 · page 378Read the page →
Read the text
He then rented a farm near John "Walker's place at Sebastopol, which he successfully conducted until 1876. In that year he rented a farm on the Santa Rosa and Sebastopol road, in the Llano school district, six miles west of Santa Rosa, and one mile east of Sebastopol. Here Mr. Kelly entered into farming and the dairy business, a business which he has successfully
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
Sebastopol, 1860 to 2002
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Sebastopol post office opened in 1867, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1902.
How does Sebastopol rank for history?
Sebastopol is more historic than 63% of U.S. towns, #83 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 Sebastopol?
4 listings: 3 buildings and 1 site.
How old are the homes in Sebastopol?
14% of Sebastopol’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.3 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1975.
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 (3), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (3), 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
1874
Date?
2016
