On its age, its old homes and the National Register, New Buffalo Township is more historic than 47% of U.S. towns, #388 of 701 in Michigan. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of New Buffalo 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 New Buffalo 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 two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.8 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 New Buffalo Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area around the mouth of the Galien River was originally populated by Miami and Potawatomi peoples. Later, French missionaries visited the area on their search for the fabled Northwest Passage. The area remained sparsely populated, even as Michigan Territory was petitioning for statehood.
In 1834 a sea-captain from Buffalo, New York—Wessel Whittaker—and his crew were shipwrecked on the Lake Michigan coast south of the Galien River outlet. As they headed back to Saint Joseph to report the loss of their ship, Whittaker noticed the possibilities of the New Buffalo area as a potential harbor. He purchased the land around the river-mouth and with various family members in tow, returned and named his new settlement New Buffalo.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of New Buffalo Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1930Three Oaks 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 New Buffalo Township.
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
New Buffalo Township is more historic than 47% of U.S. towns, #388 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.
How old are the homes in New Buffalo Township?
19% of New Buffalo Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.8 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1980.
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 (6), 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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