On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Adams Township is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #23 of 593 in Indiana. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Adams Township’s overall grade.
Indiana towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Indiana town has 7.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Adams Township’s 413 sits above most of its state (94% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 213 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% 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 (±6.9 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 Adams Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Adams Township was named for James Adams, a pioneer settler, but the date of the township's organization is unknown because early records were lost.
The Beeson Covered Bridge, Billie Creek Covered Bridge, Catlin Covered Bridge, Crooks Covered Bridge, Leatherwood Station Covered Bridge, McAllister Covered Bridge, Neet Covered Bridge, and Sanitorium Covered Bridge were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Adams Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1952Catlin sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Adams Township.
People over time
Adams Township, census by census
Between 3,278 and 5,825 people in every census since 1890.
14 censuses, 1890–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Adams Township’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Adams Township
Nobody well known was born in Adams Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Adams Township is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #23 of 593 in Indiana. 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 Adams Township?
9 listings: 6 structures. 213 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Adams Township?
30% of Adams Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.9 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1966.
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 the National Register of Historic Places (6), Wikipedia, 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.
