On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Oak Grove Township is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Oak Grove 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 Oak Grove Township’s 174 sits above most of its state (86% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 25 historic buildings outnumber those of 81% 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 (±9.9 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 Oak Grove Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Oak Grove Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Oak Grove Township is one of eleven townships in Benton County, Indiana. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,551 and it contained 690 housing units. It was one of the first three townships originally created by the county's commissioners in 1840. It takes its name from White Oak Grove which grew southwest of Oxford.
Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 1,581 in 2010, 1,551 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
On the National Register
4 listings protect 25 historic buildings
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Oak Grove Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1962Fowler 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 Oak Grove Township.
People over time
Oak Grove Township, census by census
Between 1,220 and 1,810 people in every census since 1890.
14 censuses, 1890–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Oak Grove Township’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Oak Grove Township
Nobody well known was born in Oak Grove Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Oak Grove Township is among the most historic 1% 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.
What is on the National Register in Oak Grove Township?
4 listings: 1 building, among them the Oxford Community Mausoleum (listed 2020, the first). 25 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Oak Grove Township?
50% of Oak Grove Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.9 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1940.
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 the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.
