Easthampton dates to 1664, and 32% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 94% of U.S. towns · #86 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
4 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 63 buildings between them. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1821.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Easthampton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Easthampton is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns, #86 of 283 in Massachusetts. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Easthampton’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 Easthampton’s 41.0 sits near the middle of its state (44% of Massachusetts towns have fewer) while its 66 historic buildings outnumber those of 87% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.3 points). Two sources give 1664.
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 Easthampton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Easthampton was first settled by European immigrants beginning in 1664 as the village of Pascommuck and was originally part of Northampton. On 24 May 1704 during Queen Anne's War, a party of 72 Native Americans attacked the village, killing 19 of 38 residents. The village was soon resettled, and by 1785, Easthampton was established as a "district" by Massachusetts (a former type of political entity with less independence than a town), and in 1809, it was incorporated as a town. Easthampton is the youngest municipality in Hampshire County by date of incorporation. (It was not, however, the last incorporated; two of the three disincorporated towns of the Quabbin Reservoir in Hampshire County, Enfield and Prescott, were incorporated afterwards.)
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.
In 1664, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Easthampton’s post office opened in 1821, and the first U.S. census counted 457 people here in 1790.
How does Easthampton rank for history?
Easthampton is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns, #86 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 Easthampton?
4 listings: 2 buildings and 2 historic districts, the Main Street Historic District and the Nashawannuck Mills Historic District, with 63 contributing buildings. 66 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Easthampton?
32% of Easthampton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.3 points), against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town; the median home was built in 1966.
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 (3), the Library of Congress (3), the National Register of Historic Places (4), 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.
1900
1905