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A+History
History · Snow Hill

Snow Hill dates to 1686, and 27% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 96% of U.S. towns. What drives it

8 places in town are on the National Register. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1895 on, and the census since 1850.

1686founded
8on the National Register
27%homes built before 1940
6old photos & papers
8famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Snow Hill’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Snow Hill began

When was Snow Hill founded?

1686

Snow Hill dates its founding to 1686 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1850.

First census: 714 in 18502020 census: 2,156340 years

How historic is Snow Hill?

A+

More historic than 96% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1792.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Snow Hill’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Snow Hill is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.

A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Snow Hill’s overall grade.
Founding era1686, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 194027.1% of homes (±5.1) · typical MD town 3.3% · U.S. 8.4%A−National Register8 listings, 9 historic buildings, 33.8 per 10,000 residents · typical MD town 0.9 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 96%
NewerOlder

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 Snow Hill’s 33.8 sits above most of its state (78% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 9 historic buildings outnumber those of 75% 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 (±5.1 points). Two sources give 1686.

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 Snow Hill’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Older than the countryEstablished in 1686, 90 years before the Declaration of Independence.On the map since 19013 editions of the USGS map, 1901 to 1966. Watch Snow Hill change.Mapped building by building4 fire insurance maps, 1895 to 1911, drew every building in Snow Hill.Landmarks on the Register8 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · Timeline

Snow Hill, 1686 to 1980

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 17th century
  2. 1686
    FoundingSnow Hill is established
  3. 18th century
  4. 1756BuiltAll Hallows Episcopal Church is built
  5. 1771Born hereEphraim King Wilson is born here
  6. 1788Born hereJohn S. Spence is born here
  7. 1792Post officeThe Snow Hill post office opens
  8. 19th century
  9. 1821Born hereEphraim King Wilson II is born here
  10. 1899Born hereJudy Johnson is born here
  11. 20th century
  12. 1901On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  13. 1919In the archiveClass in "First Aid to the Injured" Snow Hill, Md
  14. 1923In the archiveSnow Hill MD Presby PHS688
  15. 1980In the archiveSnow Hill Bridge, built in 1932 over the Pocomoke River on Maryland's Eastern Shore
On the map

Snow Hill on the map, 1901 to 1966

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Snow Hill. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Snow Hill on the 1901 USGS mapSnow Hill on the 1942 USGS mapSnow Hill on the 1966 USGS map1901Snow Hill 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 Snow Hill.

Every building

Snow Hill, building by building, 1895–1911

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.

Snow Hill fire insurance map, 1895, sheet 21895Sheet 2 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story

How Snow Hill came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Snow Hill.

Read it all →

Snow Hill was founded in 1686 in Somerset County by English settlers, who may have named it after a street and neighborhood of the City of London called "Snow Hill" despite the location's elevation of just 16 feet (4.9 m) above sea level and the infrequency of snowfall. The town received its first charter on October 26, 1686, and was made a port of entry in 1694.

In 1742, Worcester County was carved out of the eastern half of old Somerset County and Snow Hill, centrally located in the new county and at the head of navigation on the Pocomoke River, was made the county seat.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Snow Hill, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1910s to the 1980s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1910s–1920s2 items
Class in "First Aid to the Injured" Snow Hill, Md1919Class in "First Aid to the Injured" Snow Hill, MdSnow Hill MD Presby PHS6881923Snow Hill MD Presby PHS688
1930s–1970snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
1980s1 item
Snow Hill Bridge, built in 1932 over the Pocomoke River on Maryland's Eastern Shore1980Snow Hill Bridge, built in 1932 over the Pocomoke Riv…
1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Date unknown3 to date
Nassawango Iron Furnace, Furnace Road, 1.2 miles west of Maryland Route 12Date?Nassawango Iron Furnace, Furnace Road, 1.2 miles west…Dover, Public Landing Road (State Route 365)Date?Dover, Public Landing Road (State Route 365)Mount Ephraim, Bayside Road, Chincoteague Bay VicinityDate?Mount Ephraim, Bayside Road, Chincoteague Bay Vicinity
Today16 recent
Pocomoke River in2025Pocomoke River inPocomoke River Sunset - Flickr - aparlette2022Pocomoke River Sunset - Flickr - aparletteSignage for Food Rite located in2020Signage for Food Rite located inPocomoke River at Snow Hill MD32019Pocomoke River at Snow Hill MD3Pocomoke River at Snow Hill MD22019Pocomoke River at Snow Hill MD2Pocomoke River at Snow Hill MD12019Pocomoke River at Snow Hill MD1Grain elevator Snow Hill MD12019Grain elevator Snow Hill MD12017-08-28 09 58 11 View north along Maryland State Route 12 (Washington Street) at U.S. Route 113 Business (Market Str…20172017-08-28 09 58 11 View north along Maryland State R…2017-08-28 09 50 08 View south along U.S. Route 113 Business (Market Street) at Tyson Lane in20172017-08-28 09 50 08 View south along U.S. Route 113 B…Worcester County Courthouse2016Worcester County CourthouseSnow Hill post office 218632016Snow Hill post office 21863James Martin House in2016James Martin House inSamuel Gunn House2014Samuel Gunn HouseSnow hill district court2008Snow hill district courtSnow Hill business center (2008)2008Snow Hill business center (2008)MDMap-doton-SnowHill2004MDMap-doton-SnowHill
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Class in "First Aid to the Injured" Snow Hill, Md
Retake this viewClass in "First Aid to the Injured" Snow Hill, Md, 1919

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Snow Hill’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

8 historic places in Snow Hill

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
8
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
9
each building in a district counts
first listed
1979
All Hallows Episcopal Church
All Hallows Episcopal Church, built 1756ChancefordGov. John Walter Smith HouseGeorge Washington Purnell HouseJames Martin HouseSamuel Gunn HouseMakemie Memorial Presbyterian ChurchSnow Hill Drawbridge
BuildingsStructures

Architectural styles listings

Colonial2
Georgian2
Vernacular1
Federal1
Queen Anne1
Gothic Revival1
All Hallows Episcopal ChurchVernacular · Built 1756
ChancefordFederal
Gov. John Walter Smith HouseQueen Anne
George Washington Purnell HouseGothic Revival
James Martin HouseColonial
Samuel Gunn HouseColonial
Makemie Memorial Presbyterian ChurchLate Victorian
All 8 listings
Snow Hill DrawbridgeStructure · listed 2025

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Snow Hill, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5001850190019502000Peak: 2,409

Between 714 and 2,409 people in every census since 1850.

18 censuses, 1850–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Snow Hill’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

8 famous people were born in Snow Hill

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Ephraim King Wilson IIAmerican politician · b. 1821
J
John S. SpenceAmerican politician · b. 1788
E
Ephraim King WilsonAmerican politician · b. 1771
Judy JohnsonAmerican Hall of Fame baseball player · b. 1899
Henry M. JudahUnion Army general · b. 1821
Louis PurnellCurator at the National Air and Space Museum, d… · b. 1920
Places that used to be

Old burying grounds

Snow Hill’s post office has been open since 1792.

4cemeteries and burying grounds inside Snow Hill
All Hallows EpiscopalChristianMakemie MemorialMount Zion

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Start Snow Hill’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Snow Hill’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
3 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo3 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewClass in "First Aid to the Injured" Sno…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Snow Hill’s history

What year was Snow Hill founded?

In 1686, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Snow Hill’s post office opened in 1792, and the census of 1850 counted 714 people here.

How does Snow Hill rank for history?

Snow Hill is more historic than 96% 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 Snow Hill?

8 listings: 7 buildings, among them the All Hallows Episcopal Church (listed 1979, the first), and 1 structure. 9 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Snow Hill?

27% of Snow Hill’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.1 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1972.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (17), the Library of Congress (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (8), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), 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.