The story
Read it all →How Crows Nest came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Crows Nest.
Crows Nest was founded in 1927 and supposedly was named from crows nesting nearby.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
–Not graded
History · Crows Nest
Crows Nest dates to 1927, and 32% of its homes were built before 1940
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 29 buildings. Below: maps from 1948 on and the census since 1930.
1927founded
1on the National Register
32%homes built before 1940
Quick answers
How Crows Nest began
When was Crows Nest founded?
1927
Crows Nest dates its founding to 1927 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1930.
First census: 79 in 19302020 census: 6799 years
Founding year: Wikipedia.The full story ↓
What stands out about Crows Nest’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Crows Nest are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 122 in 1960; 67 people lived here in 2020.A historic districtThe Town of Crows Nest Historic District takes in 29 historic buildings.Old housesHalf of Crows Nest’s homes were built before 1955.
★ What stands out · Help out
Start Crows Nest’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Crows Nest’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.People over time
Crows Nest, census by census
Peaked at 122 in 1960; 67 people lived here in 2020.
10 censuses, 1930–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Crows Nest’s Wikipedia page.
On the National Register
1 listing protects 29 historic buildings
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
29
each building in a district counts
first listed
2000
Town of Crows Nest Historic District
Districts
Architectural styles listings
Colonial Revival1
French Renaissance1
Tudor Revival1
Art Deco1
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Timeline
Crows Nest, 1927 to 1960
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
- 20th century
- 1927FoundingCrows Nest is established
- 1948
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey - 1960CensusPopulation peaks at 122
By decade
Crows Nest, decade by decade
2022
2011
2011On the map
Crows Nest on the map, 1948 to 1998
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Crows Nest. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1948Indianapolis West sheet · 1:24,000U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Crows Nest.
Famous people
See all →Famous people close to Crows Nest
Nobody well known was born in Crows Nest itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Questions about Crows Nest’s history
What year was Crows Nest founded?
In 1927, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1930 counted 79 people here.
What is on the National Register in Crows Nest?
One place: the Town of Crows Nest Historic District (listed 2000).
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Start a conversation
Sources
Where this page comes from
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (3), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.