Spencer dates to 1717, and 29% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 97% of U.S. towns · #47 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
5 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 180 buildings between them. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1810.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Spencer’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Spencer is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #47 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 Spencer’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 Spencer’s 152 sits above most of its state (72% of Massachusetts towns have fewer) while its 182 historic buildings outnumber those of 93% 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 (±6.0 points). Two sources give 1717.
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 Spencer’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Spencer was first settled in 1717 by Nathaniel Wood, and first permanently settled by Samuel Bemis in 1721.
Spencer is located in central Worcester County, twenty minutes west of Worcester via Route 9, and about forty-five east of Springfield via Routes 49, 20, and the Massachusetts Turnpike. It was officially incorporated on April 12, 1753, splitting from the town of Leicester. Spencer was named after the then-acting governor of Massachusetts, Spencer Phips. Spencer was the home of the Howe family of inventors, including Elias Howe, who perfected the lockstitch sewing machine.
Passages that mention Spencer, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Spencer, Massachusetts, from its earliest settlement to the year 18601860 · page 41Read the page →
Read the text
It will be seen by the provisions of this act, that the town of Spencer was especially prohibited from sending a representative of their own, but the inhabitants had the privilege, if they chose, of going to Leicester and voting for some gentleman in that town for the office. This was a kind of partnership, that if the labor and expense were equal, yet the honor and profits were shared by one of the parties only, for during the period of twenty two years, while this
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Spencer, Massachusetts, from its earliest settlement to the year 18601860 · page 111Read the page →
Read the text
The first Baptist Church in Spencer was constituted June 30, 1819. Their meeting house was built the next year, 1820, and is situated at the northeast part of the town, near to the line of the town of Paxton. , The society is not large and is composed of members from Spencer and the adjoining towns of Rutland and Paxton, and perhaps a few from Leicester and Oakham. Their first minister was the Eev.
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
Spencer, 1717 to 2020
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Spencer. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1889Webster 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 Spencer.
Every building
Spencer, building by building, 1887–1922
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.
In 1717, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Spencer’s post office opened in 1810, and the first U.S. census counted 1,322 people here in 1790.
How does Spencer rank for history?
Spencer is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #47 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 Spencer?
5 listings: 2 buildings and 3 historic districts, the Spencer Town Center Historic District, the East Main Street-Cherry Street Historic District and the East Main-Cherry Street Historic District, with 180 contributing buildings. 182 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Spencer?
29% of Spencer’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.0 points), against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town; the median home was built in 1968.
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 (10), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (5), 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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