The Deerfield Township post office opened in 1837, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Kidzie's Grove (1828), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 421 in 18902020 census: 1,503189 years
How historic is Deerfield Township?
A−
More historic than 75% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Deerfield Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Deerfield Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Deerfield Township is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Deerfield 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 Deerfield Township’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (32% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
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 (±6.9 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 Deerfield Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first land purchase in the area was by William Kedzie from Delhi, New York, who bought land here in 1824. He became the area's first resident when he moved here two years later. He became the first postmaster of the new community when a post office opened on March 20, 1828. The community was named Kedzie's Grove. It was renamed to Deerfield on August 19, 1837. The name came from the numerous deer in the area, and Deerfield incorporated as a village in 1873.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Deerfield Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1939Blissfield 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 Deerfield Township.
People over time
Deerfield Township, census by census
Between 421 and 1,005 people in every census since 1890.
14 censuses, 1890–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Deerfield Township’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Another post office, Kidzie's Grove, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Kidzie's Grove
1828–1837
Deerfield
1837–today
18201920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Deerfield
Gone or out of use
Deerfield Stationlocale
1cemetery inside Deerfield Township
Deerfield Village
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Deerfield Township post office opened in 1837, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Deerfield Township rank for history?
Deerfield Township is more historic than 75% 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.
How old are the homes in Deerfield Township?
37% of Deerfield Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.9 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1955.
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 (14), Wikipedia, 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.
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