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A−History
History · Barrington Township

Barrington Township’s post office opened in 1845, and 4 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 84% of U.S. towns · #144 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it

Most of Barrington Township was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1984. Below: 7 old photos and papers, maps from 1923 on, and the census since 1880.

1845first post office
4on the National Register
9%homes built before 1940
7old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Barrington Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Barrington Township began

When was Barrington Township founded?

1845

The Barrington Township post office opened in 1845, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1865.

First census: 410 in 18802020 census: 16,514181 years

How historic is Barrington Township?

A−

More historic than 84% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Barrington Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1865.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Barrington Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Barrington Township is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #144 of 768 in Illinois. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Barrington Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1845, from the first post office: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19408.9% of homes (±3.1) · typical IL town 10.6% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register4 listings, 389 historic buildings, 240 per 10,000 residents · typical IL town 0.5 · U.S. 2.4A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 84%
NewerOlder
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 81%

Few Illinois towns list much on the Register (a typical Illinois town has 0.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Barrington Township’s 240 sits above most of its state (97% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 389 historic buildings outnumber those of 96% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.1 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1865.

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 Barrington Township’s past

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

Mystery photos7 old photos have no date. Neighbors can guess the decade.Deep rootsA post office since 1845: 181 years of Barrington Township.On the map since 19236 editions of the USGS map, 1923 to 1993. Watch Barrington Township change.Landmarks on the Register4 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Barrington Township’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo7 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewNIKE Missile Base C-84, Water Well, Nor…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Barrington Township on the map, 1923 to 1993

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

Barrington Township on the 1923 USGS mapBarrington Township on the 1935 USGS mapBarrington Township on the 1961 USGS mapBarrington Township on the 1972 USGS mapBarrington Township on the 1980 USGS mapBarrington Township on the 1993 USGS map1923Barrington 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 Barrington Township.

The story

How Barrington Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Barrington Township.

Read it all →

The original settlers of the Barrington area were the indigenous peoples of the Prairie Potawatomi or Mascouten tribes, which later divided into the Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Odawa tribes. Many local roads still in use, including Algonquin Road, Rand Road, Higgins Road, and St. Charles Road, were originally Native American trails. For many years, Barrington was considered part of the Northwest Territory, then the Illinois Territory.

ChaptersEarly history19th century20th century21st century

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Barrington Township, decade by decade

Date unknown7 to date
NIKE Missile Base C-84, Water Well, North of administration areaDate?NIKE Missile Base C-84, Water Well, North of administ…NIKE Missile Base C-84, Basketball Court, East of Mess HallDate?NIKE Missile Base C-84, Basketball Court, East of Mes…NIKE Missile Base C-84, Concrete Pad, North of Officers' Quarters & Administration BuildingDate?NIKE Missile Base C-84, Concrete Pad, North of Office…NIKE Missile Base C-84, Administration Building, North of Launch Area Entrance DriveDate?NIKE Missile Base C-84, Administration Building, Nort…NIKE Missile Base C-84, Longer Barracks, South of Launch Area Entrance DriveDate?NIKE Missile Base C-84, Longer Barracks, South of Lau…NIKE Missile Base C-84, Sentry Guard House, Quentin Road at entrance to baseDate?NIKE Missile Base C-84, Sentry Guard House, Quentin R…NIKE Missile Base C-84, East of Quentin Road between LAke Cook & Long Grove RoadsDate?NIKE Missile Base C-84, East of Quentin Road between …
Today31 recent
Untitled photo2020Untitled photoUntitled photo2020Untitled photoUntitled photo2020Untitled photoUntitled photo2020Untitled photoUntitled photo2020Untitled photoUntitled photo2020Untitled photoUntitled photo2020Untitled photoUntitled photo2020Untitled photoUntitled photo2020Untitled photoUntitled photo2020Untitled photoUntitled photo2020Untitled photoUntitled photo2020Untitled photoUntitled photo2020Untitled photoUntitled photo2020Untitled photoUntitled photo2020Untitled photoGreetings from Barrington, Illinois - Large Letter Postcard2014Greetings from Barrington, Illinois - Large Letter Po…DocumentBaker's Lake is in full swing2013Baker's Lake is in full swingBaker's Lake before everyone gets up2013Baker's Lake before everyone gets upWhere's Waldo?2012Where's Waldo?Feasting Fowl2012Feasting FowlBarrington, IL 60010, USA - panoramio (1)2012Barrington, IL 60010, USA - panoramio (1)Bakers Lake2012Bakers LakeBakers Lake2012Bakers LakeBaker's Lake2012Baker's LakeWater and cell tower Barrington IL 2011-05-122011Water and cell tower Barrington IL 2011-05-12Barrington il2011Barrington ilBattle of Barrington Plaque2010Battle of Barrington PlaqueBarrington Park2010Barrington ParkBarrington IL Gazebo2009Barrington IL GazeboBarrington IL Gazebo 12009Barrington IL Gazebo 1Barrington Gazebo Fall2009Barrington Gazebo Fall
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

NIKE Missile Base C-84, Water Well, North of administration area
Retake this viewNIKE Missile Base C-84, Water Well, North of administration area

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Barrington Township’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

4 listings protect 389 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
389
each building in a district counts

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

People over time

Barrington Township, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,0001880190019201940196019802000202010,722

Grew from 410 people in 1880 to 10,722 in 2020, more than tenfold.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

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

Places that used to be

Old corners and places now gone

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Sutton
Gone or out of use
School Number 11school

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Palatine Township2 historic placesCHanover Township1 historic placeCHoffman Estates1 historic placeDDundee Township2 historic placesA−South BarringtonIts storyC−InvernessIts storyC+Barrington4 historic placesA

Questions about Barrington Township’s history

What year was Barrington Township founded?

The Barrington Township post office opened in 1845, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1865.

How does Barrington Township rank for history?

Barrington Township is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #144 of 768 in Illinois. 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.

How old are the homes in Barrington Township?

9% of Barrington Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.1 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1984.

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 (31), the Library of Congress (7), Wikidata (3), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.