Bladensburg dates to 1742, and 6 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 79% of U.S. towns · #38 of 261 in Maryland. What drives it
Most of Bladensburg was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1973. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1900 on, and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1776.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Bladensburg’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bladensburg is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #38 of 261 in Maryland. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bladensburg’s overall grade.
Few Maryland towns list much on the Register (a typical Maryland town has 0.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bladensburg’s 12.5 sits above most of its state (71% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 12 historic buildings outnumber those of 77% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.0 points). Two sources give 1742.
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 Bladensburg’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Originally called Garrison's Landing, Bladensburg was renamed in honor of Thomas Bladen, governor of Maryland, 1742–1747. Bladensburg was established in 1742 as a regional commercial center by an act of the Maryland General Assembly. The act also authorized the town commissioners to purchase 60 acres (240,000 m2) of land to be laid out in 1-acre (4,000 m2) lots. The act required that a house covering at least 400 square feet (37 m2) of ground with a brick or stone chimney be constructed within 18 months of the sale of the lot. As of June 6, 1746, only 18 of the lots had been improved according to the stipulations of the act. Christopher Lowndes' house, Bostwick, and those built by David Ross and William Hilleary (the William Hilleary House) were among them.
In 1742, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Bladensburg’s post office opened in 1776, and the census of 1870 counted 410 people here.
How does Bladensburg rank for history?
Bladensburg is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #38 of 261 in Maryland. 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 Bladensburg?
6 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Bostwick (listed 1975, the first), and 1 object. 12 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Bladensburg?
5% of Bladensburg’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.0 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1973.
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 (4), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (6), 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) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1861
1861