Petersham dates to 1733, and 42% of its homes were built before 1940
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. What drives it
7 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 45 buildings between them. Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1797.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Petersham’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Petersham is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs put Petersham near the top nationally; its age ranks highest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Petersham’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 Petersham’s 456 sits above most of its state (90% of Massachusetts towns have fewer) while its 54 historic buildings outnumber those of 85% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1733.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.1 points).
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Petersham’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Petersham was first settled by Europeans in 1733 and was officially incorporated on April 20, 1754. On February 4, 1787, it was the site of the second battle of Shays' Rebellion. The town is noted for its common, part of the Petersham Common Historic District. About 45 buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Country Store, an 1842 Greek Revival structure that has housed a general store on its main floor since its opening, sits just to the East of the common.
Passages that mention Petersham, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity1907 · page 246Read the page →
Read the text
pond, one going north, the other south of Wachusett mountain, converged here. The first road built by the English settlers was along the trail to Lancaster and Petersham. The Ware River Railroad began operations through the village in 1873. The first store was opened in 1816 by George Williams and his brother Luke, nearly opposite the E. W. Sheldon house. In 1842 the store was moved to new quarters
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Grafton, Worcester county, Massachusetts, from its early settlement by the Indians in 1647 to the present time, 1879. Including the genealogies of seventy-nine of the older families1879 · page 470Read the page →
Read the text
6. Lucy, 1). July 21, 1752, d. Jan. 13, 1818, 7. Mary, b. Feb. 4, 1755, m. Rev. Joseph Farrer, and rev. to Petersham, where she d. Oct. 24, 1855, over 100 years old. 8. Elijah, b. Jan. 21, 1757, m. May Hall.
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
Petersham, 1733 to 1938
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.
In 1733, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Petersham’s post office opened in 1797, and the first U.S. census counted 1,560 people here in 1790.
How does Petersham rank for history?
Petersham is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. 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 Petersham?
7 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Gay Farm (listed 1977, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Petersham Common Historic District and the Dana Common Historic and Archaeological District, with 45 contributing buildings. 54 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Petersham?
42% of Petersham’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.1 points), against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town; the median home was built in 1962.
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 (8), the Library of Congress (3), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (7), 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.
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