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B+History
History · Rochester

Rochester dates to 1817, and 4 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 72% of U.S. towns · #185 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it

Most of Rochester was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1983. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 1880.

1817founded
4on the National Register
9%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
30famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Rochester’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Rochester began

When was Rochester founded?

1817

Rochester dates its founding to 1817 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 996 in 18802020 census: 13,035209 years

How historic is Rochester?

B+

More historic than 72% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1825.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Rochester’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Rochester is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns, #185 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 Rochester’s overall grade.
Founding era1817, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19408.5% of homes (±2.6) · typical MI town 11.9% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register4 listings, 3.1 per 10,000 residents · typical MI town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 72%
NewerOlder
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 74%

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 Rochester’s 3.1 sits above most of its state (72% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 4 listings outnumber those of 68% 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 (±2.6 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1817.

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 Rochester’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1890 to 1916, drew every building in Rochester.On the map since 19088 editions of the USGS map, 1908 to 1997. Watch Rochester change.Famous sons and daughtersDita Von Teese, Jacob Trouba and 28 more were born here.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Rochester’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewGreetings from Rochester: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Every building

Rochester, building by building, 1890–1916

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Rochester fire insurance map, 1890, sheet 11890Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

On the map

Rochester on the map, 1908 to 1997

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

Rochester on the 1908 USGS mapRochester on the 1936 USGS mapRochester on the 1945 USGS mapRochester on the 1952 USGS mapRochester on the 1968 USGS mapRochester on the 1973 USGS mapRochester on the 1981 USGS mapRochester on the 1997 USGS map1908Rochester 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 Rochester.

The story

How Rochester came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Rochester.

Read it all →

Rochester had been settled since the prehistoric era, prior to about 3000 B.C. There appears to have been a village around the junction of Third and Main and at least three burial sites have been buried under city buildings. [1]

The Odawa, Ojibwe, Potawatomi and Wyandot peoples all resided in the Rochester area. All of them ceded land claims by the early 19th century. The first settlers in what would become Rochester, the Graham family, built a log cabin in 1817. The cabin was located on present-day 3rd St., just west of Main. The city was named for Rochester, New York, just like Rochester, Minnesota, as many early settlers to the area were formerly from the state of New York.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Rochester, 1817 to 1994

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1817
    FoundingRochester is established
  3. 1825Post officeThe Stony Creek post office opens
  4. 1827Post officeThe Rochester post office opens
  5. 1832Post officeThe Stony Creek post office closes
  6. 1863BuiltMilo Prentice Newberry House is built
  7. 20th century
  8. 1908On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1910In the archiveGreetings from Rochester
  10. 1972Born hereDita Von Teese is born here
  11. 1972Born hereJason Varitek is born here
  12. 1984Born herePaul Davis is born here
  13. 1994Born hereJacob Trouba is born here
By decade

Rochester, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1910s1 item
Greetings from Rochester1910Greetings from Rochester
1920s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Today16 recent
Rollin Sprague Building2014Rollin Sprague BuildingRollin Sprague Building Marker2014Rollin Sprague Building MarkerRochester Opera House Marker2014Rochester Opera House MarkerRochester Opera House MI2014Rochester Opera House MIRochester Historic Marker2014Rochester Historic MarkerMount Avon Cemetery2014Mount Avon CemeteryMasonic Block2014Masonic BlockMasonic Block Marker2014Masonic Block MarkerGeorge Vandeventer House2014George Vandeventer HouseGeorge Vandeventer House Marker2014George Vandeventer House MarkerAvon Township Hall2014Avon Township HallAvon Township Hall Marker2014Avon Township Hall MarkerCHMC Front of Building20092009CHMC Front of Building2009Rochester Michigan Stoney Creek High School2007Rochester Michigan Stoney Creek High SchoolRochester Michigan Rotary Park2007Rochester Michigan Rotary ParkRochester Michigan Paint Creek Trail2007Rochester Michigan Paint Creek Trail
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Greetings from Rochester
Retake this viewGreetings from Rochester, 1910

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Rochester’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

4 historic places in Rochester

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

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
4
each building in a district counts
first listed
1999
Rollin Sprague Building-Old Stone Store
Rollin Sprague Building-Old Stone StoreWestern Knitting MillsGriggs Brothers-Rochester Elevator Company Grain ElevatorMilo Prentice Newberry House, built 1863
BuildingsStructures

Architectural styles listings

Cobblestone1
Greek Revival1
Late Victorian1
Commercial Style1
Gambrel-roof Grain Elevator1
Rollin Sprague Building-Old Stone StoreCobblestone
Western Knitting MillsCommercial Style
Griggs Brothers-Rochester Elevator Company Grain ElevatorGambrel-roof Grain Elevator
All 4 listings
Milo Prentice Newberry HouseBuilding · listed 2018

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

People over time

Rochester, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00014,0001880190019201940196019802000202013,035

Grew from 996 people in 1880 to 13,035 in 2020, more than tenfold.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Rochester’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

30 famous people were born in Rochester

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Dita Von TeeseAmerican Egyptian burlesque dancer and model · b. 1972
Jacob TroubaAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1994
Paul DavisAmerican basketball player · b. 1984
Jason VaritekAmerican baseball catcher · b. 1972
Jamison JonesAmerican actor · b. 1965
Eric FisherAmerican football player · b. 1991
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Rochester’s post office has been open since 1827. Another post office, Stony Creek, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Stony Creek
1825–1832
Rochester
1827–today
18201920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Stony Creek
Gone or out of use
Stony Creek Post Officepost office
3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Rochester
Mount AvonStony CreekVan Hoosen Jones

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.

Rochester Hills2 historic placesCShelby Township2 historic placesC+

Questions about Rochester’s history

What year was Rochester founded?

In 1817, according to Wikidata. Rochester’s post office opened in 1825, and the census of 1880 counted 996 people here.

How does Rochester rank for history?

Rochester is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns, #185 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 Rochester?

4 listings: 3 buildings, among them the Rollin Sprague Building-Old Stone Store (listed 1999, the first), and 1 structure.

How old are the homes in Rochester?

9% of Rochester’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.6 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1983.

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 (16), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (4), 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 and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.