1 of Washington Township’s places is on the National Register
More historic than 52% of U.S. towns · #387 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Most of Washington Township was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1994. Below: maps from 1949 on and old-book passages.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Washington Township is more historic than 52% of U.S. towns, #387 of 768 in Illinois. 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 Washington Township’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 Washington Township’s 1.5 sits near the middle of its state (65% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.2 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Washington Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Washington Township
Saint John's Lutheran ChurchSaint Johns United Church of ChristSaint Lukes
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
Washington Township, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Washington Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Washington Township is located in Will County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 6,263 and it contained 2,404 housing units. Washington Township was formed from Crete Township and Sherburn Township on an unknown date.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 6,263 to 6,495 (+4%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Washington Township, 1878–1928
Passages that mention Washington Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Will County, Illinois, containing a history of the county ... a directory of its real estate owners1878 · page 555Read the page →
Read the text
In the mean time, the State road, mentioned in Washington Township, was attracting some settlers. Doubtless from its very publicity, and from the desire of the human kind for society, or even the frequent sight of his species, the "Big Road," all along its extent, became a continuous settlement. Willard Wood was the nucleus or founder of the Corners, or what has developed into the village of Crete, and, in 1849, laid out the town. Mr. Wood has probably been more closely identified with the interests of this vicinity and of the wholfr township than any other man. Willard Wood taught the first school, in the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Will County, Illinois1928 · page 966Read the page →
Read the text
entire life. He was born on the Ostermeyer homestead in Washington Township, Nov. 17, 1866, and remained there until 1908, at which time he located at Beecher. He obtained his schooling in the district schools of Washington Township and until his retirement ranked among the highly successful farmers of the township. He has held the office of highway commissioner since 1922.
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.
Timeline
Washington Township, 1865 to 1949
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Washington Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1949Crete 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 Washington Township.
On the National Register
1 historic place in Washington Township
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Washington Township is more historic than 52% of U.S. towns, #387 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 Washington Township?
9% of Washington Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.2 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1994.
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 U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System 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.
