More historic than 10% of U.S. towns · #222 of 261 in Maryland. What drives it
Most of Seabrook was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1969. Below: 2 old photos and papers and maps from 1900 on.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Seabrook is more historic than 10% of U.S. towns, #222 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 Seabrook’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 Seabrook’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (20% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% 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 Seabrook’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The community developed in direct relationship with the Washington Branch of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad. The railroad's main branch into Washington opened in July 1872, with stations established at Glenn Dale, Seabrook, and Lanham, among others. Thomas Seabrook, an engineer for the railroad, purchased 500 acres (2.0 km2) of land in 1871 around the location of a planned station for the purpose of creating a retreat community, and later that year the railroad chose to call the station "Seabrook's". By 1880, a station building and three Gothic cottages had been built, followed by commercial buildings and a schoolhouse. By 1914, the community remained small with just a few buildings located at the intersection of Seabrook Road with the railroad. By 1957, the community had grown to include approximately 185 houses along 10 streets. The streets were arranged in a grid pattern roughly…
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.
Seabrook is more historic than 10% of U.S. towns, #222 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.
How old are the homes in Seabrook?
2% of Seabrook’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 1969.
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 (6), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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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