3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 175 buildings. Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1880.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Oakland is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Oakland’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 Oakland’s 785 sits above most of its state (94% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 177 historic buildings outnumber those of 92% 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 (±6.4 points). Two sources give 1851.
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 Oakland’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
Oakland on the map, 1899 to 1997
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Oakland. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1899Oakland 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 Oakland.
Every building
Oakland, building by building, 1892–1921
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.
1892Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
The story so far
Oakland, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Oakland yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Oakland is a town in Garrett County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. The population was 1,851 at the 2020 census. Oakland was founded in 1851 and was incorporated in 1862 Oakland is often referred to as, “A great small town!” Oakland was formally incorporated as a town in 1862. The town is home to the historic Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Oakland Station, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and restored in the 2000s. Today, the station is mainly used for special organizations or gatherings, although trains still run on tracks behind the station. A gift shop is located within the station. Seasonal decorations and events, such as a Christmas tree,…
Oakland was established in 1851. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 1,925 to 1,851 (-4%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Oakland, 1851 to 1963
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.
In 1851, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1880 counted 910 people here.
How does Oakland rank for history?
Oakland is more historic than 86% 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 Oakland?
Three places: the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station, Oakland (listed 1974), the Garrett County Courthouse (1975) and the Oakland Historic District (1984).
How old are the homes in Oakland?
35% of Oakland’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.4 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1960.
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 (7), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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.
![Oakland Hotel. Glade of the Alleghanies [i.e. Alleghenies]](https://images.townratings.com/story/7475/e792cc368d9853e9c16d-s.jpg)
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