Belchertown dates to 1731, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns · #186 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Most of Belchertown was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1984. 3 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 123 buildings between them. Below: 10 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1797.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Belchertown’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Belchertown is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #186 of 283 in Massachusetts. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Belchertown’s overall grade.
Massachusetts towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Massachusetts town has 46.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Belchertown’s 80.6 sits near the middle of its state (59% of Massachusetts towns have fewer) while its 124 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1731.
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 (±3.8 points).
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 Belchertown’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area encompassing the Town is part of a crossroads of Native trails in the Connecticut River Valley of Western Massachusetts that indigenous people traveled including the Nipmuc and Norwottuck, or Nonotuck and Nolwotogg, among others. Artifacts found in the early 20th century just south of Dwight, near Lake Metacomet, suggest, "evidence of Native American occupations in Belchertown" that began some 7,000 years ago.
Passages that mention Belchertown, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of the town of Goshen, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, from its first settlement in 1761 to 18811881 · page 96Read the page →
Read the text
Major Josiah Lyman, who lived in this town, probably from about 1800 till his decease in 1822, was an officer of the Revolution. He was then of Belchertown, and commanded a company in Col. Elisha Porter's Regiment that went to Quebec. The town of Belchertown voted " that in consideration of the great hardships Capt. Josiah Lyman went through in last year's campaign at Quebec, and also that he has been in the war ever since, voted that his poll and estate be freed from being taxed in this levy for raising men to go into the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Belchertown, 1731 to 1991
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
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.
In 1731, according to Wikidata. Belchertown’s post office opened in 1797, and the first U.S. census counted 1,485 people here in 1790.
How does Belchertown rank for history?
Belchertown is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #186 of 283 in Massachusetts. 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 Belchertown?
Three places: the Belchertown Center Historic District (listed 1982), the Walker-Collis House (1982) and the Belchertown State School (1994).
How old are the homes in Belchertown?
10% of Belchertown’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.8 points), against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town; the median home was built in 1984.
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 (11), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1930s
1945
1949
1949
1991
1991
2007
