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B−History
History · Brownstown Township

Brownstown Township dates to 1827, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 53% of U.S. towns · #335 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it

Most of Brownstown Township was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1994. Its Register listing is the Hull's Trace North Huron River Corduroy Segment. Below: maps from 1906 on.

1827founded
1on the National Register
3%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Brownstown Township began

When was Brownstown Township founded?

1827

Brownstown Township dates its founding to 1827 (Wikipedia’s history).

2020 census: 33,194199 years

How historic is Brownstown Township?

B−

More historic than 53% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Brownstown Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Brownstown Township is more historic than 53% of U.S. towns, #335 of 701 in Michigan. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Brownstown Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1827, from Wikipedia: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19402.5% of homes (±1.6) · typical MI town 11.9% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register1 listing, 0.3 per 10,000 residents · typical MI town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 53%
NewerOlder
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 52%

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 Brownstown Township’s 0.3 sits near the middle of its state (64% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1827.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share (±1.6 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Brownstown Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Brownstown Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19066 editions of the USGS map, 1906 to 1980. Watch Brownstown Township change.Lost villages4 hamlets and corners are still on the map.Deep rootsEstablished in 1827: 199 years of Brownstown Township.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Brownstown Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Brownstown Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Brownstown Township on the map, 1906 to 1980

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Brownstown Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Brownstown Township on the 1906 USGS mapBrownstown Township on the 1928 USGS mapBrownstown Township on the 1942 USGS mapBrownstown Township on the 1967 USGS mapBrownstown Township on the 1973 USGS mapBrownstown Township on the 1980 USGS map1906Romulus 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 Brownstown Township.

Places that used to be

Old corners and burying grounds

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Cherry IslandEast RockwoodMaple BeachMilleville Beach
3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Brownstown Township
East RockwoodOak RidgeOur Lady of Hope

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How Brownstown Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Brownstown Township.

Read it all →

Prior to the township's organization, the area was involved in the War of 1812, and the battles of Brownstown and Maguaga took place in the area.

The region now known as Brownstown was, like surrounding areas in Michigan, once a part of the French colony of New France (Mid France). The area eventually fell into hands of the British and finally came under American rule in the 18th century. The original 43-square-mile (110 km2) area of land south of Detroit was designated a township by the Michigan Territorial Council on April 5, 1827, when Moses Roberts was elected its first supervisor. This made Brownstown one of Wayne County's nine original townships.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Brownstown Township, 1812 to 1972

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1812BuiltHull's Trace North Huron River Corduroy Segment is built
  3. 1827
    FoundingBrownstown Township is established
  4. 20th century
  5. 1906On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1972Born hereShelley Looney is born here
By decade

Brownstown Township, decade by decade

Today5 recent
Battle of Brownstown Memorial Historical Marker, Brownstown, Michigan2012Battle of Brownstown Memorial Historical Marker, Brow…Kurtzhal's Farms Brownstown Michigan2010Kurtzhal's Farms Brownstown MichiganBrownstown Charter Township Offices2010Brownstown Charter Township OfficesBrownstown Battery Assembly Plant Brownstown Michigan2010Brownstown Battery Assembly Plant Brownstown MichiganNelumbo lutea1mandj982007Nelumbo lutea1mandj98
On the National Register

1 historic place in Brownstown Township

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
2010
Hull's Trace North Huron River Corduroy Segment
Hull's Trace North Huron River Corduroy Segment, built 1812
Structures

Architectural styles listings

Corduroy Road Remnant1
Hull's Trace North Huron River Corduroy SegmentCorduroy Road Remnant · Built 1812

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Berlin Township1 historic placeBGibraltar1 historic placeB+Grosse Ile Township6 historic placesBWoodhavenIts storyDFlat RockIts storyC+RiverviewIts storyDHuron Township1 historic placeBRockwoodIts storyCTaylorIts storyC+

Questions about Brownstown Township’s history

What year was Brownstown Township founded?

In 1827, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town.

How does Brownstown Township rank for history?

Brownstown Township is more historic than 53% of U.S. towns, #335 of 701 in Michigan. 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 Brownstown Township?

One place: the Hull's Trace North Huron River Corduroy Segment (listed 2010).

How old are the homes in Brownstown Township?

3% of Brownstown Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.6 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1994.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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.