3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 214 buildings. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1904 on, and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives New Windsor’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, New Windsor is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of New Windsor’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 New Windsor’s 1,557 sits above most of its state (98% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 218 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% 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 (±14.0 points). Two sources give 1797.
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 New Windsor’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
On the map
New Windsor on the map, 1911 to 1971
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of New Windsor. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1911Taneytown 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 New Windsor.
Every building
New Windsor, building by building, 1904–1922
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.
New Windsor was platted in 1797 and originally named Sulphur Springs, for a local spring with water believed to have medicinal properties. It was given its current name in the early 19th century, possibly after its English namesake. The town was originally founded to service and profit from junctures of wagon trails in the area, but would later become a destination in and of itself because of the sulfur springs. To capitalize from the visitors to the springs, the town would become home to a bathhouse and numerous inns, including the 10,000+ square foot Dielman Inn.
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 1797, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1870 counted 396 people here.
How does New Windsor rank for history?
New Windsor is more historic than 97% 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 New Windsor?
Three places: the Avalon (listed 1987), the New Windsor Historic District (1997) and the Appler-Englar House (2001).
How old are the homes in New Windsor?
35% of New Windsor’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±14.0 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1989.
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 (2), the Library of Congress (3), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1980
1980
1980
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