Towson dates to 1750, and 11% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 92% of U.S. towns · #17 of 261 in Maryland. What drives it
18 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital and Gatehouse, a National Historic Landmark, and seven historic districts with 3,366 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1885 on and the census since 1960.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1827.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Towson’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Towson is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #17 of 261 in Maryland. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Towson’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 Towson’s 578 sits above most of its state (90% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 3,392 historic buildings outnumber those of 100% 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 (±1.1 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1750.
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 Towson’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first inhabitants of the future Towson and central Baltimore County region were the Susquehannock people, who hunted in the area. Their region included all of Baltimore County, though their primary settlement was farther northeast along the Susquehanna River.
Towson was settled in 1752 when Pennsylvania brothers, William and Thomas Towson, began farming an area of Sater's Hill, northeast of the present-day York and Joppa roads. William's son, Ezekiel, opened the Towson Hotel to serve the growing number of farmers bringing their produce and livestock to the port of Baltimore. He built the hotel at current-day Shealy Avenue and York Road, near the area's main crossroads. The village became known as "Towsontown".
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Towson. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1894Baltimore 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 Towson.
Every building
Towson, building by building, 1885–1922
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.
1885Sheet 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.
People over time
Towson, census by census
Between 19,090 and 77,768 people in every census since 1960.
7 censuses, 1960–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Towson’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
23 famous people were born in Towson
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
In 1750, according to Wikidata. Towson’s post office opened in 1827, and the census of 1960 counted 19,090 people here.
How does Towson rank for history?
Towson is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #17 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 Towson?
18 listings: 11 buildings, among them the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital and Gatehouse (a National Historic Landmark since 1971), and 7 historic districts with 3,366 contributing buildings. 3,392 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Towson?
11% of Towson’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.1 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1966.
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 the Library of Congress (12), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (18), 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.
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