Leominster dates to 1653, and 23% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns · #149 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
12 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 50 buildings between them. Below: 10 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1794.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Leominster’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Leominster is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #149 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 Leominster’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 Leominster’s 15.5 sits below most of its state (33% of Massachusetts towns have fewer) while its 68 historic buildings outnumber those of 87% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1653.
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 (±3.2 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 Leominster’s past
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 Leominster. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1889Fitchburg sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Leominster.
Every building
Leominster, building by building, 1884–1922
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.
The region was originally inhabited by various divisions of the Pennacook or Nipmuc Native Americans, who lived along the Nashua River. The river provided fertile soil for the cultivation of corn, beans, squash and tobacco.
European settlers began arriving in the mid-17th century and in 1653, the area of Leominster—which takes it name from the Herefordshire town of Leominster in England, was first founded as part of the town of Lancaster.
Passages that mention Leominster, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Leominster, Massachusetts, historical and picturesque1888Read the page →
Read the text
Among the first to settle upon the territory known as the Lancaster New or Additional Grant, afterwards, (July 1740,) incorporated as the Town of Leominster, were four brothers, sons of Samuel Carter of Lancaster. Nathaniel, who settled on Bee Hill in 1735, Jonathan, near Chualoom pond, Oliver and Josiah, whose lands extended from the bridge on Granite street to the top of Monoosnock; Oliver's being on the south side and Josiah's on the north, these two farms and a part of the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Leominster, Massachusetts, historical and picturesque1888Read the page →
Read the text
with less inconvenience and expense and that they could and would " Maintain a Godly Minister," they applied to the General Court and after persevering effort succeeded in securing an act of incorporation of the Town of Leominster which was passed on the 23d of June, O. S., 1740, the same as the 4th of July, N. S., and exactly thirty-six years before the birthday of the Nation.
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.
By decade
Leominster, decade by decade
3 decades in the archive, from the 1840s to the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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 1653, according to Wikidata. Leominster’s post office opened in 1794, and the first U.S. census counted 1,189 people here in 1790.
How does Leominster rank for history?
Leominster is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #149 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 Leominster?
12 listings: 8 buildings, 3 historic districts, the Monument Square Historic District, the Whitney, F. A., Carriage Company Complex Historic District and the W. S. Reed Toy Company-Wachusett Shirt Company Historic District, with 50 contributing buildings, and 1 site. 68 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Leominster?
23% of Leominster’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 1967.
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 (2), the National Register of Historic Places (12), 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.
1886
1901–1907
1901–1907
1906
c. 1907
1907–1915
1907–1915
