The Batavia Township post office opened in 1838, the earliest record of the town by name. Four smaller post offices, Branch (1835), Batavia (1838) and North Batavia (1874), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 1,546 in 20002020 census: 1,323188 years
How historic is Batavia Township?
A−
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Batavia Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).
History grade
What drives Batavia Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Batavia Township is more historic than 85% 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 Batavia Township’s overall grade.
Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Batavia Township’s 19.8 sits above most of its state (87% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 2 historic buildings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.4 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 →
What stands out about Batavia Township’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 Batavia Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1960Coldwater West sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Batavia Township.
On the National Register
1 historic place in Batavia Township
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
The Batavia Township post office opened in 1838, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Batavia Township rank for history?
Batavia Township is more historic than 85% 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 Batavia Township?
One place: the Capri Drive-In Theater (listed 2024).
How old are the homes in Batavia Township?
20% of Batavia Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.4 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan 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 the National Register of Historic Places (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
