Milford dates to 1680, and 15% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 92% of U.S. towns · #5 of 37 in Delaware. What drives it
20 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 169 buildings between them. Below: 24 old photos and papers, maps from 1918 on, and the census since 1860.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1795.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Milford’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Milford is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #5 of 37 in Delaware. 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 Milford’s overall grade.
Delaware towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Delaware town has 29.4 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Milford’s 160 sits above most of its state (72% of Delaware towns have fewer) while its 205 historic buildings outnumber those of 93% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1680.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.1 points).
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 Milford’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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 Kent County side of Milford was first settled in 1680 by Henry Bowan on what was known as the Saw Mill Range. A century later the Reverend Sydenham Thorne built a dam across the Mispillion River to generate power for his gristmill and sawmill. Around the same time, Joseph Oliver laid out the first city streets and plots nearby on a part of his plantation. Soon a number of homes and businesses appeared along Front Street. The city was incorporated February 5, 1807.
In 1680, according to Wikidata. Milford’s post office opened in 1795, and the census of 1860 counted 1,178 people here.
How does Milford rank for history?
Milford is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #5 of 37 in Delaware. 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 Milford?
20 listings: 17 buildings, among them the Parson Thorne Mansion (listed 1971, the first), and 3 historic districts, the Wilkerson, J. H., & Son Brickworks, the North Milford Historic District and the South Milford Historic District, with 169 contributing buildings. 205 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Milford?
15% of Milford’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.1 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Delaware town; the median home was built in 1991.
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 (22), the Library of Congress (2), the National Register of Historic Places (20), 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.
1854
1854
1854
1854
1906
1906
1923
1940
1940
1968
1968
1968
1968
1968
1968
1968
1968
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
