Stanford dates to 1775, and 11% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 86% of U.S. towns · #18 of 142 in Kentucky. What drives it
9 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 18 buildings. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1800.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1798.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Stanford’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Stanford is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns, #18 of 142 in Kentucky. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Stanford’s overall grade.
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 Stanford’s 90.6 sits above most of its state (67% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 33 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.8 points). Two sources give 1775.
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 →
What stands out about Stanford’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
Stanford was founded in 1775 by Benjamin Logan as "St. Asaph"; the early settlement was also known simply as "Logan's Fort". The site of the fort is about one mile west of the courthouse at the center of town. The name "Fort Logan" is still used to this day by local businesses, including the Fort Logan Hospital and Standing Fort Collectibles. The main street was built on what was originally a buffalo trail.
The name "Stanford" may have come from "Standing Fort", a name given to Fort Logan because it survived multiple attacks by British-led Native Americans during the American Revolution. Alternately, it may have been named for Stamford, England. Although it was one of the smaller pioneer forts, it never fell to an attack.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Stanford’s history
What year was Stanford founded?
In 1775, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Stanford’s post office opened in 1798, and the census of 1800 counted 66 people here.
How does Stanford rank for history?
Stanford is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns, #18 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.
What is on the National Register in Stanford?
9 listings: 8 buildings, among them the John Logan House (listed 1975, the first), and 1 historic district, the Stanford Commercial District, with 18 contributing buildings. 33 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Stanford?
11% of Stanford’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.8 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky town; the median home was built in 1978.
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 (9), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (9), 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 Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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