Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1799.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Woodsboro’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Woodsboro is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Woodsboro’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 Woodsboro’s 19.5 sits above most of its state (75% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1786.
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 (±5.3 points).
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 Woodsboro’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The town was named after Joseph Wood. The LeGore Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and Woods Mill Farm was listed in 2007.
In 1895, Dr. George F. Smith founded Rosebud Perfume Company in Woodsboro. Smith had eight children, and served as mayor of the town for 19 years. The business has remained in the family, and as of 2012, was still producing its famous "Smith's Rosebud Salve," a lip gloss and salve. The products are shipped from company headquarters in Woodsboro; however, "the salve is manufactured and filled at Case Mason in Joppa, Md., and the tins are made in Baltimore."
Passages that mention Woodsboro, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Graceham, Frederick County, Maryland1913 · page 49Read the page →
Read the text
agreement with Mr. Gilbert, of Woodsboro, to furnish lime. As to boarding the workmen, Congregation Council resolved that Sr. Leinbach (nee Rosina Paus, widow of Christian Leinbach, who built the first house in Graceham, 1782, and died 1792) should cook for all, and Bro. John Weller should announce to the members their turns to bring butter and vegetables, and that they should sometimes butcher, and cured meat be bought from Bro. Lembke. They agreed that each one should furnish
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Woodsboro’s history
What year was Woodsboro founded?
In 1786, according to Wikidata. Woodsboro’s post office opened in 1799.
How does Woodsboro rank for history?
Woodsboro is more historic than 78% 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 Woodsboro?
One place: the Woods Mill Farm (listed 2007).
How old are the homes in Woodsboro?
13% of Woodsboro’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.3 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1993.
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), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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