Fenton dates to 1834, and 14% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 88% of U.S. towns · #82 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
9 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 132 buildings between them. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1860.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1837.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Fenton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Fenton is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #82 of 701 in Michigan. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Fenton’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 Fenton’s 117 sits above most of its state (94% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 139 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% 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 (±3.6 points). Two sources give 1834.
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 Fenton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
It was first established in 1834 and was originally named "Dibbleville" after Clark Dibble, one of the first settlers. It was platted in 1837 as "Fentonville" by William M. Fenton who later became lieutenant governor of Michigan. When the settlement was incorporated as a village in 1863 the name Fenton was used. The settlement's post office used the name Fentonville from 1837 until 1886, when it adopted the current name.
l'"risbie returned to Michigan and bought a farm in Tuscola county, where he made his home for several years, at the end of which time he came to this county, about 1881, and bought an eighty-acre farm in Genesee township, later moving to Fenton township and thence to the town of Fenton, but prcsentl}' returned to his farm, where he lived until 1897, in which year he moved to Flint, where he engaged in the real estate business and where he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring on March 29, 1913, he then l)eing sixty-three years and ten months of age. His widow, who was born
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Genesee county Michigan1916 · page 736Read the page →
Read the text
Andrew J. Phillips was very active in the affairs of his community, contributing freely of his means and time to charitable and other movements having for their object the general good of the people of Fenton and Genesee county; however, many of his Ijenef actions were unknown to the public, as he gave through a sense of duty rather than to win the applause of his fellow men. After his death, which occurred on June 14, 1904, it was found that he had willed the town of Fenton his office building to be used as a public library, and it is now known as the A. J. Phillips library, occupying a
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
Fenton, 1834 to 1994
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 1834, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Fenton’s post office opened in 1837, and the census of 1860 counted 735 people here.
How does Fenton rank for history?
Fenton is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #82 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 Fenton?
9 listings: 7 buildings and 2 historic districts, the Dibbleville-Fentonville Historic District and the Vermont House and Fenton Grain Elevator, with 132 contributing buildings. 139 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Fenton?
14% of Fenton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.6 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1981.
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 (1), Wikidata (5), 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.
