Lombard’s post office opened in 1868, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 45% of U.S. towns · #436 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Most of Lombard was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1971. Its Register listings are the First Church of Lombard and the Lilacia Park Historic District. Below: 8 old photos and papers, maps from 1953 on, and the census since 1880.
The Lombard post office opened in 1868, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1869. Another post office, Babcock's Grove (1844), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 378 in 18802020 census: 44,476158 years
How historic is Lombard?
C+
More historic than 45% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Lombard post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1869.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Lombard’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lombard is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns, #436 of 768 in Illinois. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lombard’s overall grade.
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 Lombard’s 0.5 sits near the middle of its state (60% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% 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 (±1.4 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1869 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 Lombard’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lombard was originally named "Babcock's Grove", after the Babcock brothers, early settlers along the DuPage River. It was renamed for a real estate developer who mapped out plans for the settlement in 1868.
Sheldon and Harriet Peck moved from Onondaga, New York, to this area in 1837 to farm 80 acres (320,000 m2) of land. In addition, Peck was an artist and primitive portrait painter who traveled to clients across northeastern Illinois. The Peck house also served as the area's first school and has been restored by the Lombard Historical Society.
In 2011, the Peck House was inducted into the National Park Service's Network to Freedom—a list of verified Underground Railroad locations.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The Lombard post office opened in 1868, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1869.
How does Lombard rank for history?
Lombard is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns, #436 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.
What is on the National Register in Lombard?
Two places: the First Church of Lombard (listed 1978) and the Lilacia Park Historic District (2019).
How old are the homes in Lombard?
9% of Lombard’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.4 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1971.
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 (11), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.
1927
1927
1927
1968
2007
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