Lebanon dates to 1761, and 19% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns · #40 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 21 buildings. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1790.
Lebanon dates its founding to 1761 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). It appears in the first U.S. census, 1790.
First census: 1,180 in 17902020 census: 14,282265 years
How did Lebanon get its name?
Lebanon was named for Lebanon, Connecticut, from where many early settlers had come or would come, including the Reverend Eleazar Wheelock, who arrived in 1770 and founded Dartmouth College.
How historic is Lebanon?
A
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1800. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Lebanon’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lebanon is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #40 of 126 in New Hampshire. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lebanon’s overall grade.
New Hampshire towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New Hampshire town has 9.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Lebanon’s 15.3 sits near the middle of its state (57% of New Hampshire towns have fewer) while its 23 historic buildings outnumber those of 80% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.0 points). Two sources give 1761.
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 Lebanon’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds
Lebanon’s post office has been open since 1800. Three other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Lebanon
1800–today
West Lebanon
1833–1975
Mascoma
1889–1891
Mascoma
1909–1955
18001910today
Hamlets and corners on the map
East WilderHannahs Mobile Home ParkLeBruns Mobile Home ParkMascomaMeadow Brook VillageOlympic Mobile Home ParkOscars Mobile Home ParkPinewood VillageSachem VillageWest Lebanon
5cemeteries and burying grounds inside Lebanon
GlenwoodMount CalvaryOld Pine TreeSacred HeartValley
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Every building
Lebanon, building by building, 1884–1912
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.
Lebanon was chartered as a town by colonial governor Benning Wentworth on July 4, 1761, one of 16 along the Connecticut River. It was named for Lebanon, Connecticut, from where many early settlers had come or would come, including the Reverend Eleazar Wheelock, who arrived in 1770 and founded Dartmouth College. Lebanon, Connecticut, was the original home of Moor's Charity School, the antecedent of Dartmouth College.
Passages that mention Lebanon, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Lebanon, N.H., 1761-18871908 · page 211Read the page →
Read the text
On the other side : The said committee further represent that they are informed by David Hough, one of the selectmen of the town of Lebanon, that the town of Lebanon has voted to raise the sum of six hundred dollars to be paid said proprietors if said road should eventually be made to cross Mascoma river at Dr Pheneas Parkhurst's and twice more before it arrived at the meeting house [at staple bridge and at Coles foundery] and by said meeting house to Ichabod Packards, thence on to the south
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Upon the petition of Elisha Payne of Lebanon, Russell Freeman of Hanover and Constant Storrs of Lebanon, the New Hampshire Legislature granted, November 25, 1800, a charter for a turnpike road, "four rods wide from the east bank of Connecticut river in the town of Lebanon, nearly opposite the mouth of White river eastwardly to the west branch of Merrimack river in the town of Salisbury or Boscawen also to survey lay out, make and keep in repair a turnpike road four rods wide
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
Lebanon, 1761 to 2000
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 1761, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Lebanon’s post office opened in 1800, and the first U.S. census counted 1,180 people here in 1790.
How does Lebanon rank for history?
Lebanon is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #40 of 126 in New Hampshire. 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 Lebanon?
Three places: the Stone Arch Underpass (listed 1985), the Spring Hill Farm (2002) and the Colburn Park Historic District (2025).
How old are the homes in Lebanon?
19% of Lebanon’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.0 points), against a typical 17% for a New Hampshire 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 (9), the Library of Congress (3), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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.
1937
1937
2010
2010
2010
2007
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