The story
Read it all →How Darmstadt came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Darmstadt.
On April 2, 2024, an EF-2 Tornado with peak winds of 115 mph passed through the vicinity of Darmstadt.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
BHistory
History · Darmstadt
Darmstadt dates to 1822, and 16% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 56% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Below: maps from 1901 on and the census since 1880.
1822founded
0on the National Register
16%homes built before 1940
Quick answers
How Darmstadt began
When was Darmstadt founded?
1822
Darmstadt dates its founding to 1822 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.
First census: 150 in 18802020 census: 1,373204 years
How historic is Darmstadt?
B
What drives the grade ↓More historic than 56% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1869.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Darmstadt’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Darmstadt is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Darmstadt’s overall grade.
Founding era1822, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194016.2% of homes (±5.7) · typical IN town 14.4% · U.S. 8.4%BNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical IN town 7.9 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 56%
NewerOlder
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 Darmstadt’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (22% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1822.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.7 points).
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 Darmstadt’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
★ What stands out · Help out
Start Darmstadt’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Darmstadt’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.On the map
Darmstadt on the map, 1901 to 1981
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Darmstadt. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1901Haubstadt sheet · 1:62,500U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Darmstadt.
Timeline
Darmstadt, 1822 to 1901
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
- 19th century
- 1822FoundingDarmstadt is established
- 1869Post officeThe Inglefield post office opens
- 20th century
- 1901
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
From the old history books
What they wrote about Darmstadt in 1889
Passages that mention Darmstadt, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, from earliest times to the present1889 · page 584Read the page →
Read the text
H. R. R., is on the site of the ancient Sandersville. Darmstadt., a small place in the southwest corner of the township, has not been platted or incorporated, though for thirty years it has been in existence. It has a few country stores, a doctor, is the headquarters of the German churches in the neighborhood, and enjoys considerable busi-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, from the earliest times to the present1889 · page 584Read the page →
Read the text
H. R. R., is on the site of the ancient Sandersville. Darmstadt, a small place in the southwest corner of the township, has not been platted or incorporated, though for thirty years it has been in existence. It has a few country stores, a doctor, is the headquarters of the German churches in the neighborhood, and enjoys considerable busi-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, from the earliest times to the present1889 · page 585Read the page →
Read the text
German Lutheran. — The followers of Martin Luther organized a church, more than a quarter of a century ago, at the village of Darmstadt, and erected a frame house of worship. It was chiefly through the zealous work of Rev. Wile, who served the congregation as pastor for many years, that this church was founded and built up.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, from earliest times to the present1889 · page 585Read the page →
Read the text
German Lutheran. — The followers of Martin Luther organized a church, more than a <|uarter of a century ago, at the village of Darmstadt, and erected a frame house of worship. It was chiefly through the zealous work of Rev. Wile, who served the congregation as pastor for many years, that this church was founded and built up.
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.
By decade
Darmstadt, decade by decade
Today2 recent
2016
2009People over time
Darmstadt, census by census
Between 150 and 1,407 people in every census since 1880.
6 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Darmstadt’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
See all →Famous people close to Darmstadt
Nobody well known was born in Darmstadt 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 Darmstadt’s history
What year was Darmstadt founded?
In 1822, according to Wikidata. Darmstadt’s post office opened in 1869, and the census of 1880 counted 150 people here.
How does Darmstadt rank for history?
Darmstadt is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns. 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.
How old are the homes in Darmstadt?
16% of Darmstadt’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.7 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1965.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (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.