Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns · #45 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 384 buildings between them. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1820.
The Canton post office opened in 1801, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1806.
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Canton is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #45 of 155 in Connecticut. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
Connecticut towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Connecticut town has 73.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Canton’s 379 sits above most of its state (88% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 384 historic buildings outnumber those of 96% 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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Canton’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Canton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Canton.
From Wikipedia’s history of Canton.
The name of Canton was officially designated on its incorporation in 1806. While assisting with the town's organization, its name was given by Ephraim Mills, ancestor of Lewis S. Mills. There are two competing theories for Mills' source of the name, however.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Canton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Canton was incorporated by the General Assembly at the May session 1806. The limits of the town were fixed by the same lines as those that bounded the society of West Simsbury. Within a few years past however, a small section forming that partof Collinsville which lies on the western side of the river, was taken from Burlington and annexed to Canton. The dimensions of the town are about eight miles from north to south, and about four miles from east to
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A Post office was established in this town in 1798. Its location at first was at Suffrage, in the southern part of the present town of Canton. In 1802 it was removed to Weatauge, and in 1806, to Hop meadow. There is another one at Tariffville, which has been established nearly twenty years.
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born herePhilemon Bliss is born here
In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut - Hartford County - Canton - ED 2-40,…
Born hereDanny Hoffman is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
In the archiveCanton (CT) station postcard
In the archiveLewis S. Mills reading to schoolchildren in
Born hereNoah Preminger is born here3 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1950s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Canton’s page.
Retake this view · +15Between 1,322 and 10,292 people in every census since 1820.
19 censuses, 1820–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Canton’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Canton’s post office has been open since 1801.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Canton post office opened in 1801, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1806.
Canton is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #45 of 155 in Connecticut. 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.
Three places: the Collinsville Historic District (listed 1976), the Canton Center Historic District (1997) and the Town Bridge (1999).
17% of Canton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.6 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1976.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (12), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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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