Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 75% of U.S. towns · #43 of 142 in Kentucky. What drives it
6 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 54 buildings between them. Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1898 on, and the census since 1920.
Fort Thomas dates its founding to 1867 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1920.
More historic than 75% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Fort Thomas is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #43 of 142 in Kentucky. 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 Fort Thomas’ 33.2 sits near the middle of its state (53% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 57 historic buildings outnumber those of 86% 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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Fort Thomas. 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 Fort Thomas.
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.
4 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
18801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky - Ca…
18801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky - Ca…
18801950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky (KY)…
1898Fort Thomas, near Cincinnati, Ohio
1900The Barracks
1900The Water tower
1900The Water tower
1902Peaceful Valley, near Ft. Thomas, Kentucky
1907Officers' quarters
1909Map of Fort Thomas, Kentucky and Land South Between t…MapFrom Wikipedia’s history of Fort Thomas.
Evidence suggests that on or around 1749, prior to settlement by Europeans, a large battle occurred between a band of Cherokee Native Americans and victorious Miami tribe and Shawnee tribe Native Americans in what is now the city of Fort Thomas. As many as 600 graves of slain warriors have been unearthed by archeologists there.
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.
In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Kentucky - Campbell County - Fort Thomas - ED 19-…
Born hereLucien Hubbard is born hereIn the archiveFort Thomas, near Cincinnati, Ohio
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyIn the archiveThe Barracks
In the archiveHiland Motel Court, 6 miles south of downtown Cincinnati on new U. S. 27 (83888)
Born hereJames E. Moore, Jr. is born here
Born hereJennifer Garrison is born hereNo then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Fort Thomas’ page.
Retake this view · +15Grew from 5,028 people in 1920 to 17,438 in 2020, 3 times over.
11 censuses, 1920–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Fort Thomas’ Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Another post office, Dale, 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).
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1867, according to Wikidata. Fort Thomas’ post office opened in 1856, and the census of 1920 counted 5,028 people here.
Fort Thomas is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #43 of 142 in Kentucky. 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.
6 listings: 3 buildings, among them the U.S. Army Fort Thomas Mess Hall (listed 1980, the first), and 3 historic districts, the Fort Thomas Military Reservation District, the Fort Thomas Commercial District and the Highland Country Club, with 54 contributing buildings. 57 historic buildings in all.
32% of Fort Thomas’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.5 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky 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 (7), the Library of Congress (5), the National Register of Historic Places (6), 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.
c. 1930