California’s post office opened in 1874, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 24% of U.S. towns · #160 of 261 in Maryland. What drives it
Its Register listing is the St. Richard's Manor. Most of California was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1994. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1980.
The California post office opened in 1874, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Town Creek (1850) and Spencers Wharf (1893), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 5,770 in 19802020 census: 12,947152 years
How historic is California?
C−
More historic than 24% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first California post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives California’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, California is more historic than 24% of U.S. towns, #160 of 261 in Maryland. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of California’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 California’s 0.8 sits near the middle of its state (46% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to C. The pre-1940 share (±1.1 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (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 California’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
California’s post office has been open since 1874. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Town Creek
1850–1850
California
1874–today
Spencers Wharf
1893–1898
18501940today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Barefoot AcresCal AcresDiscoveryEsperanza FarmFriendly PinesGreenview KnollsHolly HavenKingston ManorMaryland ManorMill Cove ManorMyrtle PointNational Mobile Home ParkNorth Town Creek ManorSpencers WharfTown CreekTown Creek FarmTown Creek ManorWoodland Acres
California, Maryland, was named after the state of California before 1897. The exact origins of the name are unknown; however, one story is that a family from the state moved to the area, using materials from their home state to build their new house, called the “California Farmstead.” Eventually, the name stuck.
The community has been growing with the spread of population from the older adjacent community of Lexington Park and the growth in both technology-related and defense-related jobs at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station.
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.
The California post office opened in 1874, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does California rank for history?
California is more historic than 24% of U.S. towns, #160 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 California?
One place: the St. Richard's Manor (listed 1985).
How old are the homes in California?
1% of California’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.1 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1994.
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 (5), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, 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.
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