Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns · #188 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 40 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1960 on, and the census since 1870.
Chesterfield dates its founding to 1830 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1870.
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Chesterfield is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #188 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.
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 Chesterfield’s 165 sits above most of its state (86% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 41 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Chesterfield’s history is told.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyFrom Wikipedia’s history of Chesterfield.
Chesterfield, originally "West Union", was platted by Amasa Makepeace in 1830. It was renamed Chesterfield in 1834.
On March 11, 1858, Chesterfield was officially incorporated as a town.
The Chesterfield Spiritualist Camp District and George Makepeace House are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Chesterfield, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Thereupon, a minority of the voters submitted the following protest against the proceedings of the majority : "We, the subscribers, freeholders and other inhabitants of the town of Chesterfield, duly qualified by law to vote in town affairs, being legally assembled in order to choose town-officers, hereby enter our Protest against the proceedings of the majority of the said town of Chesterfield: 1st. With respect to their proceeding to act in town affairs without producing a proper list of voters according to law, though requested.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Voted that half a barrel of gunpowder be delivered out of the powderhouse in Exeter, to the selectmen of Chesterfield, on their order, for the use of said town of Chesterfield, and that the said selectmen of Chesterfield, or some person in their stead, give a receipt therefor, and promise to account with the treasurer of this Colony for the same."
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Chesterfield. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Chesterfield.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Chesterfield’s page.
Retake this view · +15Between 150 and 3,001 people in every census since 1870.
14 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Chesterfield’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Chesterfield itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Chesterfield had its own post office from 1848 to 1954.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1830, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Chesterfield’s post office opened in 1848, and the census of 1870 counted 203 people here.
Chesterfield is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #188 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.
Two places: the George Makepeace House (listed 1985) and the Chesterfield Spiritualist Camp District (2002).
14% of Chesterfield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.4 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1959.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (3), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, 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 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.
Date?
2016
2012