Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to New Albany Township

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
AHistory
History · New Albany Township

New Albany Township dates to 1813, and 19% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 91% of U.S. towns · #135 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it

19 places in town are on the National Register. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1939 on, and the census since 1830.

1813founded
19on the National Register
19%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Mikehallna · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How New Albany Township began

When was New Albany Township founded?

1813

New Albany Township dates its founding to 1813 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1830.

First census: 2,079 in 18302020 census: 52,005213 years

How historic is New Albany Township?

A

More historic than 91% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1819.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives New Albany Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, New Albany Township is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns, #135 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 New Albany Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1813, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194019.2% of homes (±1.5) · typical IN town 14.4% · U.S. 8.4%B+National Register19 listings, 819 historic buildings, 157 per 10,000 residents · typical IN town 7.9 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 91%
NewerOlder
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)Ahead of 77%

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 New Albany Township’s 157 sits above most of its state (85% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 819 historic buildings outnumber those of 98% 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 (±1.5 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1813.

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 New Albany Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Landmarks on the Register19 places on the National Register.Deep rootsEstablished in 1813: 213 years of New Albany Township.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start New Albany Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how New Albany Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFranklin D. Roosevelt and James in: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the National Register

19 listings protect 819 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
19
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
819
each building in a district counts

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Timeline

New Albany Township, 1813 to 1939

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1813
    FoundingNew Albany Township is established
  3. 20th century
  4. 1932In the archiveFranklin D. Roosevelt and James in
  5. 1939On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
The story

How New Albany Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of New Albany Township.

Read it all →

The land of New Albany was officially granted to the United States after the American Revolutionary War. The territory had been captured by George Rogers Clark in 1779. For his services Clark was awarded large tracts of land in Southern Indiana including most of Floyd County. After the war, Clark sold and distributed some of his land to his fellow soldiers. The area of New Albany ended up in the possession of Col. John Paul.

ChaptersEarly historyCivil War20th century

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

New Albany Township, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1930s2 items
Franklin D. Roosevelt and James in1932Franklin D. Roosevelt and James inFranklin D. Roosevelt and James in1932Franklin D. Roosevelt and James in
1940s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Today9 recent
New Albany Indiana 2018 flood, Sherman Minton bridge in the background2018New Albany Indiana 2018 flood, Sherman Minton bridge …New Albany Tornado, 1917 historical marker2016New Albany Tornado, 1917 historical markerFlooded Playground2015Flooded PlaygroundView of a Limestone wall2013View of a Limestone wallLimestone with Brush2013Limestone with BrushHale's Tavern2013Hale's TavernHedden's Grove Historic District2012Hedden's Grove Historic DistrictGateway to Woodbine2012Gateway to WoodbineDePauw Avenue Historic District2008DePauw Avenue Historic District
On the map

New Albany Township on the map, 1939 to 1992

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of New Albany Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

New Albany Township on the 1939 USGS mapNew Albany Township on the 1946 USGS mapNew Albany Township on the 1950 USGS mapNew Albany Township on the 1960 USGS mapNew Albany Township on the 1971 USGS mapNew Albany Township on the 1982 USGS mapNew Albany Township on the 1992 USGS map1939New Albany 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 New Albany Township.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Franklin D. Roosevelt and James in
Retake this viewFranklin D. Roosevelt and James in, 1932

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on New Albany Township’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

New Albany Township, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,0001850190019502000Peak: 38,402

Between 2,079 and 38,402 people in every census since 1830.

20 censuses, 1830–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on New Albany Township’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Old corners

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Saint Joseph

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Jeffersonville Township13 historic placesA−New Albany19 historic placesAClarksville7 historic placesA−Lafayette TownshipIts storyC−Silver Creek TownshipIts storyC−Franklin Township1 historic placeC+Georgetown Township2 historic placesA−Floyds KnobsIts storyC−SellersburgIts storyC+

Questions about New Albany Township’s history

What year was New Albany Township founded?

In 1813, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. New Albany Township’s post office opened in 1819, and the census of 1830 counted 2,079 people here.

How does New Albany Township rank for history?

New Albany Township is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns, #135 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.

How old are the homes in New Albany Township?

19% of New Albany Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.5 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1972.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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 (11), Wikidata (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.