Bloomington Township dates to 1818, and 12% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 83% of U.S. towns · #208 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
25 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 69 buildings. Below: 8 old photos and papers, maps from 1908 on, and the census since 1850.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1888.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Bloomington Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bloomington Township is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns, #208 of 593 in Indiana. All 3 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 Bloomington 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 Bloomington Township’s 56.8 sits above most of its state (76% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 244 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% 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 (±2.0 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1818.
Founding year: Wikidata (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 Bloomington Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area in which Bloomington is situated was previously inhabited by the Delaware, Potawatomi, Miami, and Eel River Miami peoples.
Bloomington was platted in 1818. A post office has been in operation at Bloomington since 1825. Bloomington was incorporated in 1827.
The current city logo was adopted on January 6, 1986, by the Bloomington Common Council. It was a combination of peony and trout lily, inspired by both quilt patterns used by regional folk artists in 19th century and the shape of Downtown Square.
The following locations and buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bloomington Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1908Bloomington 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 Bloomington Township.
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.
Retake this viewKillerObliterationCancel-Grant, 1886
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Bloomington Township’s page.
In 1818, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Bloomington Township’s post office opened in 1888, and the census of 1850 counted 1,305 people here.
How does Bloomington Township rank for history?
Bloomington Township is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns, #208 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 Bloomington Township?
25 listings: 2 buildings, among them the Daniel Stout House (listed 1973, the first), and 1 historic district, the Maple Grove Road Rural Historic District, with 69 contributing buildings. 244 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Bloomington Township?
12% of Bloomington Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.0 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1980.
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 (4), the Library of Congress (4), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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.
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