On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Pigeon Township is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #1 of 593 in Indiana. All 2 inputs put Pigeon Township near the top nationally; its National Register listings ranks highest.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Pigeon 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 Pigeon Township’s 674 sits above most of its state (97% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 1,822 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 (±3.4 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 Pigeon 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 Pigeon Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Pigeon Township is one of eight townships in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 29,799 and it contained 15,434 housing units. At just over 11 square miles and having just under 30,000 people, Pigeon Township is both the smallest and most densely populated township in both Vanderburgh County as well as in Southwestern Indiana as a whole. Downtown Evansville and several historical districts are located entirely within the township as it contains the oldest sections of the city. Pigeon Township was established in 1818.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 29,799 to 27,415 (-8%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Pigeon Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1916Henderson sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Pigeon Township.
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Pigeon Township is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #1 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 Pigeon Township?
49% of Pigeon Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.4 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1941.
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 U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
