On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Keyser Township is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #8 of 593 in Indiana. All 2 inputs put Keyser Township near the top nationally; its National Register listings ranks highest.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Keyser 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 Keyser Township’s 1,258 sits above most of its state (99% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 997 historic buildings outnumber those of 99% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.0 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Keyser Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Keyser Township had its start in 1876, when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad constructed a railroad through the area.
The Samuel Bevier House, Joseph Bowman Farmhouse, Breechbill-Davidson House, Brethren in Christ Church, Orin Clark House, DeKalb County Home and Barn, William Fountain House, Gump House, Edward Kelham House, Charles Lehmback Farmstead, Rakestraw House, and Henry Shull Farmhouse Inn were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Keyser Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1957Garrett 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 Keyser Township.
Famous people
Famous people close to Keyser Township
Nobody well known was born in Keyser Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Keyser Township is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #8 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 Keyser Township?
20 listings: 13 buildings, among them the Bowman, Joseph, Farmhouse (listed 1983, the first). 997 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Keyser Township?
33% of Keyser Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.0 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1972.
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 Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (13), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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.
