St. Donatus’ post office opened in 1855, and 34% of its homes were built before 1940
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 30 buildings.
How St. Donatus began, and where its name came from
When was St. Donatus founded?
The St. Donatus post office opened in 1855, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Tete De Mort (1839), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
How did St. Donatus get its name?
It was formerly named Tete Des Morts, which is the name of a creek that flows through the village.
2 listings protect 32 historic buildings
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
Architectural styles listings
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Another post office, Tete De Mort, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about St. Donatus’ history
What year was St. Donatus founded?
The St. Donatus post office opened in 1855, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
What is on the National Register in St. Donatus?
Two places: the Gehlen House and Barn (listed 1979) and the Village of St. Donatus Historic District (1989).
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.