Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 95% of U.S. towns · #14 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
7 places in town are on the National Register, among them the James B. Weaver House, a National Historic Landmark, and a historic district with 51 buildings. 7 places in town are on the National Register, among them the James B. Weaver House, a National Historic Landmark, and a historic district with 51 buildings. Below: maps from 1883 on and the census since 1850.
The Bloomfield post office opened in 1844, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 95% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bloomfield is more historic than 95% of U.S. towns, #14 of 140 in Iowa. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
Iowa towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Iowa town has 9.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bloomfield’s 212 sits above most of its state (93% of Iowa towns have fewer) while its 58 historic buildings outnumber those of 86% 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 first neighbors to add old photos shape how Bloomfield’s history is told.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. One is a National Historic Landmark, the highest tier.
★ Landmark
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
From Wikipedia’s history of Bloomfield.
Bloomfield was incorporated on January 3, 1855. On October 12, 1864 a small group of Confederate soldiers began a raid on the town. The raid would result in the death of three citizens before the soldiers retreated back into Missouri.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Bloomfield, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The returns of an especial election held in Davis county, Iowa, for the purpose of voting upon the following propositions, to wit.: That the county of Davis, State of Iowa, will aid within the limits of said county, in the construction of the Fort Madison, West Point, Keosauqua and Bloomfield Railroad, and in the extension of the North Missouri Railroad to a junction of said roads at Bloomfield, in said county, by subscribing the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to the capital stock of the companies organized for the purpose of building said roads, said sum to be applied in such proportions as shall appear to the county judge of said county best calculated to eftect a speedy completion of said roads to
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
table meetings of citizens, setting forth that the interests of the county and the citizens thereof, require that the county judge should order an election specially for the purpose of voting "for" or "against" the county of Davis taking stock in the "Fort Madison, West Point, Keosauqua, and Bloomfield Railroad, " and the extension of the North Missouri Railroad from the State line to Bloomfield, for the purpose of aiding in constructing of said roads within the county; and after due consideration of the matter, it is ordered that an election be held in each township in said county, at the usual places of holding elections therein, on the 4th
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 hereJohn A. Hull is born here
Born hereFletcher B. Swank is born hereBuiltAsa Wilson House is built
Born hereClem Beauchamp is born hereBuiltHenry Wishard House is built
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyThe U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bloomfield.
1980Bloomfield North sheet · 1:24,000U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bloomfield.
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.
1883Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Between 287 and 2,849 people in every census since 1850.
17 censuses, 1850–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Bloomfield’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Bloomfield’s post office has been open since 1844.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The Bloomfield post office opened in 1844, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Bloomfield is more historic than 95% of U.S. towns, #14 of 140 in Iowa. 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.
7 listings: 6 buildings, among them the James B. Weaver House (a National Historic Landmark since 1975) and the Davis County Courthouse (listed 1974, the first), and 1 historic district, the Bloomfield Square, with 51 contributing buildings. 58 historic buildings in all.
30% of Bloomfield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.9 points), against a typical 22% for an Iowa town; the median home was built in 1963.
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 (4), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (7), 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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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