Townsend’s post office opened in 1861, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 56% of U.S. towns · #18 of 37 in Delaware. What drives it
Most of Townsend was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2006. 1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 217 buildings. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1931 on, and the census since 1880.
The Townsend post office opened in 1861, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1885. Another post office, Townsend's Station (1856), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 199 in 18802020 census: 2,717165 years
How historic is Townsend?
B
More historic than 56% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Townsend post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1885.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Townsend’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Townsend is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #18 of 37 in Delaware. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Townsend’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 Townsend’s 766 sits above most of its state (87% of Delaware towns have fewer) while its 217 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.0 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1885 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
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 Townsend’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The name comes from a businessman and Delaware Democrat, Samuel John Townsend. Prior to 1885, the town was known as Charley Town. Between 1845 and 1855 brothers Samuel and John Townsend purchased several large tracts of farmland in the vicinity. The Delaware Railroad arrived here in 1856, bisecting Samuel Townsend's property. This led to a period of sustained growth for the town, as the railroad station became the principal shipping point for the area's agricultural products. In September 1856 the Post Office was established, and the first hotel opened in 1857. The station was named Townsend after the area's major land owners. The peach industry was a vital contributor to the area's growth and prosperity until disease destroyed many Delmarva orchards in the late 19th century. A free African American community was located there by the mid-19th century.
Townsend’s post office has been open since 1861. Another post office, Townsend's Station, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Townsend's Station
1856–1861
Townsend
1861–today
18501940today
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Townsend’s history
What year was Townsend founded?
The Townsend post office opened in 1861, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1885.
How does Townsend rank for history?
Townsend is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #18 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 Townsend?
One place: the Townsend Historic District (listed 1986).
How old are the homes in Townsend?
5% of Townsend’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.0 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Delaware town; the median home was built in 2006.
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 (1), the Library of Congress (3), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.
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2012
