Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 47% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Its Register listing is the Smith-Williams House. Below: maps from 1905 on and the census since 1880.
Burgin dates its founding to 1877 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1880.
More historic than 47% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Burgin is more historic than 47% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
Kentucky towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Kentucky town has 29.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Burgin’s 10.1 sits near the middle of its state (40% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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 Burgin’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Burgin. 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 Burgin.
From Wikipedia’s history of Burgin.
What is now Burgin was originally known as "Cane Run." In 1874, the Cincinnati Southern Railway obtained a right-of-way from local landowner Temple Burgin and opened Burgin Station. The town was established in 1877 and incorporated in 1878. The post office opened as "Bergen" in 1877 and changed its name to "Burgin" in 1886.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Survey
Born hereMarie McDonald is born hereThe 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 150 and 1,009 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Burgin’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Burgin’s post office has been open since 1886. Another post office, Cane Run, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1877, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Burgin’s post office opened in 1853, and the census of 1880 counted 150 people here.
Burgin is more historic than 47% 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.
One place: the Smith-Williams House (listed 1989).
16% of Burgin’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.7 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky town; the median home was built in 1966.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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) 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.
2017
2017
2017
2017
2017
2017