Malden dates to 1640, and 45% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 92% of U.S. towns · #127 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
12 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Converse Memorial Building, a National Historic Landmark, and a historic district. Below: 9 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1819.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Malden’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Malden is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #127 of 283 in Massachusetts. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Malden’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 Malden’s 1.8 sits below most of its state (12% of Massachusetts towns have fewer) while its 12 listings outnumber those of 77% 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 (±2.6 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1640.
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 Malden’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Malden is a hilly woodland area north of the Mystic River that was settled by Puritans in 1640 on land purchased in 1629 from the Mystic tribe of the Pawtucket Confederation, with a further grant in 1639 by the Squaw Sachem of Mistick and her husband Webcowet. The area was originally called the "Mistick Side" and was a part of Charlestown. It was incorporated as a separate town in 1649 under the name "Mauldon". The name Malden was selected by Joseph Hills, an early settler and landholder, and was named after Maldon, England. The city originally included the adjacent cities of Melrose (until 1850) and Everett (until 1870).
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Malden. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1893Boston 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 Malden.
Every building
Malden, building by building, 1887–1904
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 1640, according to Wikidata. Malden’s post office opened in 1819, and the first U.S. census counted 1,033 people here in 1790.
How does Malden rank for history?
Malden is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #127 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 Malden?
12 listings: 9 buildings, among them the Converse Memorial Building (a National Historic Landmark since 1987), 1 historic district, the Fellsmere Park Parkways, Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston,, and 2 sites.
How old are the homes in Malden?
45% of Malden’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.6 points), against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town; the median home was built in 1950.
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 Library of Congress (3), Wikidata (9), 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 and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1898
1898
1898
1905
c. 1906
