5 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 31 buildings between them. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1899 on, and the census since 1900.
How Hartington began, and where its name came from
When was Hartington founded?
1883
The Hartington post office opened in 1883, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Smithland (1871) and Paragon (1882), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 971 in 19002020 census: 1,517143 years
How did Hartington get its name?
Hartington was named for Lord Hartington, who had then recently paid a visit to the U.S. Hartington includes a number of historic buildings.
How historic is Hartington?
A−
More historic than 83% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hartington is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hartington’s overall grade.
Nebraska towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Nebraska town has 16.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Hartington’s 210 sits above most of its state (95% of Nebraska towns have fewer) while its 34 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% 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 (±8.0 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 Hartington’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Hartington was platted in 1883, as a water stop on the railroad. It was named for Lord Hartington, who had then recently paid a visit to the U.S.
Hartington includes a number of historic buildings. These include three brick structures on the National Register of Historic Places: the Prairie School Hartington City Hall and Auditorium (1921–1923), the Romanesque Revival Cedar County Courthouse (1890–1891), and the Colonial Revival Hartington Hotel (1917).
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hartington. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1968Hartington sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Hartington.
Every building
Hartington, building by building, 1899–1920
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.
The Hartington post office opened in 1883, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Hartington rank for history?
Hartington is more historic than 83% 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.
What is on the National Register in Hartington?
5 listings: 3 buildings, among them the City Hall and Auditorium (listed 1983, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Cedar County Courthouse and the Hartington Downtown Historic District, with 31 contributing buildings. 34 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Hartington?
31% of Hartington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.0 points), against a typical 18% for a Nebraska town; the median home was built in 1968.
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), the National Register of Historic Places (5), 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.
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