Sanford dates to 1739, and 23% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns · #45 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
9 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 14 buildings. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1891 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1796.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Sanford’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Sanford is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #45 of 143 in Maine. 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 Sanford’s overall grade.
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 Sanford’s 9.9 sits near the middle of its state (41% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 22 historic buildings outnumber those of 80% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1739.
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 (±3.2 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 Sanford’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Sanford. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1891Berwick 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 Sanford.
Every building
Sanford, building by building, 1892–1921
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.
Sanford is in the western portion of a tract of land purchased in 1661 from Abenaki Chief Fluellin by Major William Phillips, an owner of mills in Saco. First called Phillipstown, it was willed in 1696 by Mrs. Phillips to her former husband's son, Peleg Sanford. Settlement was delayed, however, by hostilities during the French and Indian Wars. In 1724, Norridgewock, an Abenaki stronghold on the Kennebec River, was destroyed by a Massachusetts militia. Subsequently, the region became less dangerous for white settlers, and Sanford was first settled in 1739. Incorporated a town in 1768, it was named after Peleg Sanford. Until 1794, Alfred was the town's North Parish.
Passages that mention Sanford, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Sanford, Maine. 1661-19001901 · page 214Read the page →
The history of Sanford, Maine. 1661-19001901 · page 527Read the page →
Read the text
in part : "It appears to your committee that they (i. e., the inhabitants of the " Gore") are not disposed to be separated from the town of Sanford and what has been done by them was by the influence of some designing men as will more fully appear by the large part of said inhabitants signing a petition to the General Court to be continued to the town of Sanford and those that did not sign declared to your committee their desires to be continued to belong to Sanford
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.
Timeline
Sanford, 1739 to 1991
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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.
In 1739, according to Wikidata. Sanford’s post office opened in 1796, and the first U.S. census counted 1,799 people here in 1790.
How does Sanford rank for history?
Sanford is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #45 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.
What is on the National Register in Sanford?
9 listings: 8 buildings, among them the Thomas Goodall House (listed 1975, the first), and 1 historic district, the Sanford Mills Historic District, with 14 contributing buildings. 22 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Sanford?
23% of Sanford’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.2 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1975.
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 (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (9), 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
c. 1905
1909
1909
