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B+History
History · Milton

Milton dates to 1800, and 5 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 72% of U.S. towns · #26 of 638 in Florida. What drives it

Most of Milton was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. 5 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 116 buildings. Below: maps from 1895 on and the census since 1860.

1800founded
5on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
7famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Milton began

When was Milton founded?

1800

Milton dates its founding to 1800 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 1,815 in 18602020 census: 10,197226 years

How historic is Milton?

B+

More historic than 72% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1840.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Milton’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Milton is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns, #26 of 638 in Florida. 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 Milton’s overall grade.
Founding era1800, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19402.4% of homes (±1.2) · typical FL town 0.6% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register5 listings, 121 historic buildings, 113 per 10,000 residents · typical FL town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 72%
NewerOlder
Florida towns of 2,500+ (638)Ahead of 96%

Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Milton’s 113 sits above most of its state (94% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 121 historic buildings outnumber those of 90% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1800.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A. The pre-1940 share (±1.2 points) is firm at this size.

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 Milton’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Milton Historic District takes in 116 historic buildings.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Milton are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1860 and 1910, then grew more than tenfold.On the map since 19204 editions of the USGS map, 1920 to 1987. Watch Milton change.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

5 listings protect 121 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.

places listed
5
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
121
each building in a district counts
first listed
1982
St. Mary's Episcopal Church and Rectory
St. Mary's Episcopal Church and RectoryLouisville and Nashville DepotOllinger-Cobb HouseMilton Historic DistrictMt. Pilgrim African Baptist Church
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Gothic Style1
Greek Revival1
Frame Vernacular1
Colonial Revival1
Carpenter Gothic1
Craftsman Bungalow1
St. Mary's Episcopal Church and RectoryGothic Style
Louisville and Nashville DepotBuilding
Ollinger-Cobb HouseFrame Vernacular
Milton Historic DistrictColonial Revival
Mt. Pilgrim African Baptist ChurchLate 19th and 20th Century Revivals

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Help out

Start Milton’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Milton’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Milton, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,0001900195020001,815 in 1860Low: 831

Lost half of its people between 1860 and 1910, then grew more than tenfold.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Milton’s Wikipedia page.

The story

How Milton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Milton.

Read it all →

Milton was settled in the early 1800s as a small village centered on the lumber industry. The settlement originally was known as Scratch Ankle because of the briars and bramble that grew in the area. Another name was Jernigan's Landing after Benjamin Jernigan (died April 1847), who built a water-powered saw mill at what is now Locklin Lake between 1828 and 1830. Other names were Lumberton, Black Water, and Hard Scrabble, but by 1839, it was being referred to as Milltown. Milton was incorporated as a town in 1844, one year before the Territory of Florida joined the United States as the 27th state.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Milton, 1800 to 2020

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1800
    FoundingMilton is established
  3. 1840Post officeThe Milton post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1920On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1965Born hereRandy Allen is born here
  7. 1968Born hereMark Everett is born here
  8. 1971Born hereCam Ward is born here
  9. 1975Born hereElijah Williams is born here
  10. 21st century
  11. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 10,197
By decade

Milton, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Fireworks Show July 2024 in2024Fireworks Show July 2024 inFireworks Display July 2024 in2024Fireworks Display July 2024 inMilton FL SR87 south012010Milton FL SR87 south01Milton FL RR bridge012010Milton FL RR bridge01FEMA - 14328 - Photograph by Nicolas Britto taken on 08-22-2005 in Florida2005FEMA - 14328 - Photograph by Nicolas Britto taken on …FLMap-doton-Milton2004FLMap-doton-Milton
On the map

Milton on the map, 1920 to 1987

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Milton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Milton on the 1920 USGS mapMilton on the 1941 USGS mapMilton on the 1978 USGS mapMilton on the 1987 USGS map1920Milton sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Milton.

Every building

Milton, building by building, 1895–1917

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Milton fire insurance map, 1895, sheet 11895Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Famous people

7 famous people were born in Milton

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
M
Mark EverettAmerican track and field athlete, middle-distan… · b. 1968
R
Randy AllenAmerican basketball player · b. 1965
C
Cam WardAmerican politician · b. 1971
E
Elijah WilliamsAmerican football player, running back, defensi… · b. 1975
R
Rod WalkerAmerican football player · b. 1976
B
Ben KrentzmanAmerican judge · b. 1914
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

East Milton1 historic placeC−

Questions about Milton’s history

What year was Milton founded?

In 1800, according to Wikidata. Milton’s post office opened in 1840, and the census of 1860 counted 1,815 people here.

How does Milton rank for history?

Milton is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns, #26 of 638 in Florida. 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 Milton?

5 listings: 4 buildings, among them the St. Mary's Episcopal Church and Rectory (listed 1982, the first), and 1 historic district, the Milton Historic District, with 116 contributing buildings. 121 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Milton?

2% of Milton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.2 points), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1987.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (6), 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), 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.