1 of Riverside’s places is on the National Register
More historic than 28% of U.S. towns · #149 of 261 in Maryland. What drives it
Its Register listing is the Sophia's Dairy. Most of Riverside was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1992. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1900 on, and the census since 2000.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Riverside is more historic than 28% of U.S. towns, #149 of 261 in Maryland. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Riverside’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 Riverside’s 3.0 sits near the middle of its state (57% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 2 historic buildings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±1.3 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. 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 Riverside’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Riverside. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1900Betterton 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 Riverside.
The story so far
Riverside, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Riverside yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Riverside is a census-designated place (CDP) in Harford County, Maryland, United States. The population was 6,425 at the 2010 census. The term "Riverside" is generally used interchangeably with "Belcamp"; both names are accepted for the U.S. Postal Service's ZIP Code of 21017. However, the original community of Belcamp is located south of U.S. Route 40, outside the Riverside CDP.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 6,425 to 7,021 (+9%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Riverside is more historic than 28% of U.S. towns, #149 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 Riverside?
One place: the Sophia's Dairy (listed 1973).
How old are the homes in Riverside?
1% of Riverside’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.3 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1992.
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 (8), the Library of Congress (3), the National Register of Historic Places (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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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