More historic than 15% of U.S. towns · #126 of 142 in Kentucky. What drives it
Most of Stanton was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1982. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1952 on, and the census since 1860.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Stanton is more historic than 15% of U.S. towns, #126 of 142 in Kentucky. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Stanton’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 Stanton’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (12% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1854.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C−. The pre-1940 share (±2.5 points) is firm at this size.
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 Stanton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first post office to be located in present-day Stanton was established on July 7, 1849, and was named Beaver Pond, because of the settlement's proximity to a small body of water resulting from a beaver dam. In 1852, both the post office and the settlement were renamed Stanton for Richard H. Stanton, who served in Congress from 1849 to 1855 and later as a U.S. senator.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Stanton (and nearby Clay City) were booming logging centers for Eastern Kentucky. The city was also connected to much of the country by a railroad that went through the city and county. Since then the railroad has been removed. The original train depot still exists and is home to the Powell County Tourism Association.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Campton RoadNorth Bend
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Stanton’s history
What year was Stanton founded?
In 1854, according to Wikidata. the census of 1860 counted 59 people here.
How does Stanton rank for history?
Stanton is more historic than 15% of U.S. towns, #126 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.
How old are the homes in Stanton?
2% of Stanton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.5 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky town; the median home was built in 1982.
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 (1), the Library of Congress (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
Date?
2014
