Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 84% of U.S. towns · #189 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Most of Brimfield was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1988. 1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 65 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1790.
Brimfield dates its founding to 1706 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). It appears in the first U.S. census, 1790.
More historic than 84% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Brimfield is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #189 of 283 in Massachusetts. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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 Brimfield’s 175 sits above most of its state (73% of Massachusetts towns have fewer) while its 65 historic buildings outnumber those of 87% 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 Brimfield. 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 Brimfield.
Lost half of its people between 1850 and 1920, then grew 4-fold.
19 censuses, 1790–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Brimfield’s Wikipedia page.
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.
From Wikipedia’s history of Brimfield.
Brimfield was first settled in 1706 and was officially incorporated in 1731. Until 1812, Brimfield was originally part of Hampshire County.
The original Hampshire County included territory that is now in modern-day Hampden County, Franklin County, and Berkshire County as well as small parts of modern-day Worcester County.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Brimfield, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Sctnement.-The early settlement of Holland was accomplished while the territory formed a part of the mother town of Brimfield. and when the latter was divided that wliich now constitutes this town contained nearly 300 inhabitants. However, in treating of this interesting portion of the town's history, it is difficult to separate Holland from Brimfield, for much that might be said of the latter naturally applies to the former. But it may be said, without fear of contradiction, that for more than
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
and the welfare of the inhabitants demanded another division of the new territory. This Avas accomplished in 1783, when, on July 5. the general court passed -'An act to incorporate the east parish of South Brimfield into a district by the name of Holland." the effective portion of which act reads as follows: •■Whereas the inhabitants of the east parish in the said South Brimfield have represented to this court the many inconveniences they labor under, arising from their connection with said South
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereErastus Fairbanks is born here
Born hereHenry Fisk Janes is born here
In the archivePlan of Brimfield, made by Jonas Blodgett, dated December 22, 1794. - DPLA - 24d2a60d5bc2…
Born hereThaddeus Fairbanks is born here
Born hereErasmus D. Keyes is born here
In the archivePlan of Brimfield, surveyor's name not given, dated 1831 - DPLA - c940d90db2f068be055d0d9…
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
In the archive1899 Brimfield public library Massachusetts
In the archiveFirst Service Car Into Brimfield, Massachusetts, July 5, 1907 - postcard4 decades in the archive, from the 1790s to the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
No 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 Brimfield’s page.
Retake this view · +15Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Brimfield’s post office has been open since 1806. Two other post offices 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 1706, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Brimfield’s post office opened in 1806, and the first U.S. census counted 1,211 people here in 1790.
Brimfield is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #189 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.
One place: the Brimfield Center Historic District (listed 2006).
8% of Brimfield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.2 points), against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town; the median home was built in 1988.
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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System 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.
1907
c. 1907