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History · South Lancaster

South Lancaster’s post office opened in 1853, and 28% of its homes were built before 1940

4 places in town are on the National Register. Below: maps from 1887 on and the census since 2000.

1853first post office
4on the National Register
28%homes built before 1940
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Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How South Lancaster began

When was South Lancaster founded?

1853

The South Lancaster post office opened in 1853, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 1,742 in 20002020 census: 1,838173 years
Founding year: the first South Lancaster post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about South Lancaster’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of South Lancaster are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18878 editions of the USGS map, 1887 to 1997. Watch South Lancaster change.Landmarks on the Register4 places on the National Register.Old housesHalf of South Lancaster’s homes were built before 1960.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start South Lancaster’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how South Lancaster’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

South Lancaster on the map, 1887 to 1997

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of South Lancaster. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

South Lancaster on the 1887 USGS mapSouth Lancaster on the 1896 USGS mapSouth Lancaster on the 1943 USGS mapSouth Lancaster on the 1950 USGS mapSouth Lancaster on the 1965 USGS mapSouth Lancaster on the 1975 USGS mapSouth Lancaster on the 1988 USGS mapSouth Lancaster on the 1997 USGS map1887Marlboro 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 South Lancaster.

On the National Register

4 historic places in South Lancaster

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
4
each building in a district counts

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story so far

South Lancaster, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of South Lancaster yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

South Lancaster is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Lancaster and close to the Town of Clinton in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,642 at the 2020 census.

Its first post office opened in 1853. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 1,894 to 1,838 (-3%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

South Lancaster, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Post Office2021Post OfficeLittle Free Library2021Little Free LibraryDexter Drumlin Reservation2021Dexter Drumlin ReservationSouth Lancaster Academy2012South Lancaster AcademySouth Lancaster Engine House2010South Lancaster Engine HouseMain Street2010Main Street
People over time

South Lancaster, census by census

05001,0001,5002,00020002020Peak: 1,838

Between 1,642 and 1,838 people in every census since 2000.

3 censuses, 2000–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on South Lancaster’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to South Lancaster

Nobody well known was born in South Lancaster itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Robert H. GoddardAmerican physicist · b. 1882
Henrietta Swan LeavittAmerican astronomer and human calculator · b. 1868
Elizabeth BishopAmerican poet · b. 1911
Alicia WittAmerican actress and singer-songwriter · b. 1975
Eli WhitneyAmerican inventor · b. 1765
Luther BurbankAmerican botanist and horticulturist · b. 1849

Questions about South Lancaster’s history

What year was South Lancaster founded?

The South Lancaster post office opened in 1853, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.