Johnstown’s post office opened in 1903, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 24% of U.S. towns · #86 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
Most of Johnstown was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2007. Its Register listings are the Jared L. Brush Barn, the Harvey J. Parish House and the Anderson Barn. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1913 on, and the census since 1910.
Founding year: the first Johnstown post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Johnstown’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Johnstown is more historic than 24% of U.S. towns, #86 of 159 in Colorado. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Johnstown’s overall grade.
Few Colorado towns list much on the Register (a typical Colorado town has 1.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Johnstown’s 2.1 sits near the middle of its state (56% of Colorado towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C+. The pre-1940 share (±2.7 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 Johnstown’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The Town of Johnstown began with the vision of Harvey J. Parish before its platting in 1902. When Parish realized that the Great Western Railway was building close to his homestead, he purchased land for $11/acre and platted the land that would later be known as Johnstown. The original plat of Johnstown contained no more than 10 acres. Lots were 25'x140' with 20' alleys. Johnstown's main street, now known as Parish Avenue, was originally named Greeley Avenue Public Road.
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.
The Johnstown post office opened in 1903, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Johnstown rank for history?
Johnstown is more historic than 24% of U.S. towns, #86 of 159 in Colorado. 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 Johnstown?
Three places: the Jared L. Brush Barn (listed 1991), the Harvey J. Parish House (2000) and the Anderson Barn (2004).
How old are the homes in Johnstown?
4% of Johnstown’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.7 points), against a typical 2.5% for a Colorado town; the median home was built in 2007.
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 (8), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, 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.
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