Lebanon dates to 1700, and 16% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 88% of U.S. towns · #57 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
5 places in town are on the National Register, among them 2 National Historic Landmarks and a historic district with 50 buildings. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1850.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1801.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Lebanon’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lebanon is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #57 of 155 in Connecticut. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lebanon’s overall grade.
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 Lebanon’s 75.9 sits near the middle of its state (49% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 54 historic buildings outnumber those of 85% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.2 points). Two sources give 1700.
Founding year: Wikidata (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 Lebanon’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lebanon was originally inhabited by the Mohegan people, an Algonquian-speaking tribe in the upper Thames River Valley in eastern Connecticut. The area was known as Poquechaneed and was used primarily for hunting.
Lebanon was settled by colonists from Norwich who wanted to expand beyond the nine square miles that they had bought from Mohegan sachem Uncas. In 1663, the first grant in the area was given to Major John Mason, deputy governor of the Connecticut Colony; the next year, Mason accepted 500 acres (2.0 km2) northwest of Norwich. This area was known as "Pomakuck" or "Pomocook" by the Mohegans and is now the Goshen Hill area of Lebanon.
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.
In 1700, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Lebanon’s post office opened in 1801, and the census of 1850 counted 1,901 people here.
How does Lebanon rank for history?
Lebanon is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #57 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.
What is on the National Register in Lebanon?
5 listings, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks: 4 buildings, among them the John Trumbull Birthplace (a National Historic Landmark since 1965), and 1 historic district, the Lebanon Green Historic District, with 50 contributing buildings. 54 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Lebanon?
16% of Lebanon’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.2 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1977.
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 (5), the National Register of Historic Places (5), 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) 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.
c. 1875
1917
★ Landmark
★ Landmark
