Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Photo: V locity · CC BY-SA 3.0More historic than 94% of U.S. towns. What drives it
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 16 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1958 on and the census since 1870.
North Liberty dates its founding to 1836 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1870.
More historic than 94% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, North Liberty is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age 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 North Liberty’s 90.1 sits above most of its state (81% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 16 historic buildings outnumber those of 78% of U.S. towns.
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 →
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 North Liberty’s history is told.
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 North Liberty.
North Liberty was laid out in 1836 or 1837 (sources differ). The North Liberty post office has been in operation since 1847.
The North Liberty Historic District and North Liberty Park are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention North Liberty, cut from the printed page as they were published.
was his way of doing business. He moved away from here a great many years ago, and settled in Hamilton county, in this State, and was still living a few years ago. Daniel Antrim was quite a business man . He laid out the town of North Liberty, and built a sawmill and grist-mill there, and by his energy gave his new town a brisk start in the world, but the hard times of 1838 struck him, spread out all his new enterprises, and before he could gather himself up he fell into the bankrupt stream, and soon floated off and
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The town of North Liberty is located in the northwest part of the township ; and is a growing and prosperous community, being situated at the junction of two of our great railroads, the Wabash and the Three "I," now operated by the Lake Shore Railroad Company. The town was laid out January 12, 1836, by Daniel Antrim and James P. An-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Sec. 2. — North Liberty. — The town of North Liberty, situated in Liberty township, followed close after New Carlisle. It was founded in 1836 by Daniel Antrim. The dedication of the plat is as follows: "This is the plat of the Town of North Liberty, in St. Joseph county, Indiana. Laid out on the southwest quarter of section
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
North Liberty is a very pleasant little town and is surrounded with wealthy men. All the disadvantage that this place meets with is the lack of railroad facilities; but should a railroad be constructed through this place it would become one of the most flourishing towns in the county.
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 North Liberty. 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 North Liberty.
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.
Between 223 and 1,896 people in every census since 1870.
15 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on North Liberty’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
In 1836, according to Wikidata. North Liberty’s post office opened in 1847, and the census of 1870 counted 223 people here.
North Liberty is more historic than 94% 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.
Two places: the North Liberty Park (listed 2007) and the North Liberty Commercial Historic District (2014).
38% of North Liberty’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±16.0 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1955.
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 (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
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