Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns · #60 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
6 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 36 buildings. Below: maps from 1893 on and the census since 1800.
The China post office opened in 1818, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Harlem (1810) and Dirigo (1860), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, China is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #60 of 143 in Maine. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
Maine towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Maine town has 15.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so China’s 97.2 sits above most of its state (86% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 44 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how China’s history is told.
Lost half of its people between 1850 and 1930, then grew 3-fold.
23 censuses, 1800–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on China’s Wikipedia page.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of China. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of China.
From Wikipedia’s history of China.
In 1774, a family named Clark settled in the area and established Jones' Plantation. In 1796, Jones' Plantation was incorporated as Harlem. The area's name was provided by Massachusetts legislative member Japheth Coombs Washburn.
On June 25, 1818, the Town of China was incorporated by combining Harlem, Fairfax (Albion), and Winslow.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention China, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Incorporation— First called Jones plantation. Incorporated.under the name of Harlem, February 3, 1796.. Portions of Harlem, Albion' and Winslow incorporated under the name of China, June 5, 1818, remainder of Harlem annexed in 1822, June 5. Town meetings were early held in the Friend's Meeting house ou Pond Road. In common with the practice of towns in early days Harlem showed that it was particular as to who settled and resided within
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
BuiltAbel Jones House is built
BuiltEli and Sybil Jones House is built
Born hereJohn E. Nelson is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
BuiltPendle Hill is built
2018ChinaME SouthChinaCommunityChurch
2018ChinaME PondMeetingHouse
2018ChinaME PendleHill
2018ChinaME EliAndSybilJonesHouse
2018ChinaME EdmundAndRachelClarkHomestead
2018ChinaME DinsmoreMillRemnants
2018ChinaME AbelJonesHouse
2018ChinaDinah
2013South China Maine Country Sign
2009On the Road to China, Maine that isThe country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
China’s post office has been open since 1818. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The China post office opened in 1818, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
China is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #60 of 143 in Maine. 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.
6 listings: 5 buildings and 1 historic district, the China Village Historic District, with 36 contributing buildings. 44 historic buildings in all.
14% of China’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.1 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1981.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (10), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (6), 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 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.
