On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Watervliet Township is more historic than 61% of U.S. towns, #272 of 701 in Michigan. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Watervliet 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 Watervliet Township’s 3.3 sits above most of its state (73% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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 (±5.9 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 Watervliet Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In 1905, John Olsen and Maud Nelson moved here where they established a women's baseball team. Both of them had experience in the game. The "Cherokee Indian Baseball Team" set out in its Pullman car in the same year complete with an electric light facility, a grand stand and a 12 by 1200 foot fence. Nelson, who was born in Italy, was on the team. She was billed by her husband, Olsen, as the undisputed women's champion pitcher of the world.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Watervliet Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1958Racine sheet · 1:250,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Watervliet Township.
On the National Register
1 historic place in Watervliet Township
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
Watervliet Township is more historic than 61% of U.S. towns, #272 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 Watervliet Township?
One place: the North Watervliet Road-Paw Paw Lake Outlet Bridge (listed 1999).
How old are the homes in Watervliet Township?
12% of Watervliet Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.9 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1977.
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 (11), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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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