Centerville dates to 1814, and 23% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 93% of U.S. towns · #112 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 115 buildings. Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1896 on, and the census since 1850.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1818.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Centerville’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Centerville is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns, #112 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 Centerville’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 Centerville’s 444 sits above most of its state (94% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 123 historic buildings outnumber those of 90% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.3 points). Two sources give 1814.
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 Centerville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
Centerville was platted in 1814 on land bought from the Miami Indians at the Twelve Mile Purchase. It was settled by Quakers originally from Centreville, Delaware. Centre Monthly Meeting in Delaware is part of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends, whose Indian relations office first sent a delegation of Quakers to Indiana Territory at the request of Chief Little Turtle of the Miami Indians, who visited them in Baltimore. Friends from Delaware lived for a time in Guilford County, North Carolina before permanently moving to Indiana Territory when it opened for settlement. The community is said to be named for its location near the middle of the county, but it is not in the center. A little-known county seat war was fought in Wayne County in 1873 between Centerville and Richmond. The county seat had been located in Centerville (Center Township) since 1818. By 1870, Richmond (…
Passages that mention Centerville, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Wayne county, Indiana, from its first settlement to the present time1872 · page 235Read the page →
Read the text
The survey, by Henry Bryan, was dated March 23, 1815, and recorded May 31, 1815. Centerville is the only town of earlier date in the county. Jacksonburgh was the place for holding elections in the township of Jackson until 1836, when it was changed to Cambridge. It was a central place for military parades, liorse-racing, and somewhat signalized for fighting.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Wayne county, Indiana, from its first settlement to the present time1872 · page 85Read the page →
Read the text
of tbe county seat to Centerville. lu the midst of the bitter strife between tbe Salisbury and Centerville parties, originating with the action of the court before mentioned, and lasting several years, an act was passed, in 1816, authorizing the removal of the county seat to Centerville ; provided, however, that the citizens furnish, without expense to the county, public buildings as good, and of the same dimensions, as those at Salisbury.
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.
On the map
Centerville on the map, 1960 to 1981
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Centerville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1960Richmond 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 Centerville.
Every building
Centerville, building by building, 1896–1913
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1814, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Centerville’s post office opened in 1818, and the census of 1850 counted 920 people here.
How does Centerville rank for history?
Centerville is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns, #112 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 Centerville?
Three places: the Centerville Historic District (listed 1971), the Oliver P. Morton House (1975) and the Westcott Stock Farm (1998).
How old are the homes in Centerville?
23% of Centerville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.3 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1973.
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 (12), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
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