Pittsfield dates to 1768, and 31% of its homes were built before 1940
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns · #4 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 128 buildings. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1818.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Pittsfield’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Pittsfield is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #4 of 126 in New Hampshire. All 3 inputs put Pittsfield near the top nationally; its age ranks highest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Pittsfield’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 Pittsfield’s 312 sits above most of its state (95% of New Hampshire towns have fewer) while its 128 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.6 points). Two sources give 1768.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Pittsfield’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
For many years prior to its 1782 incorporation, the area was an unnamed parish of Chichester. Like Pittsburg in the north, Pittsfield was named for William Pitt, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and a great friend of the colonies prior to the American Revolution. The town was settled in 1768 by several families originally from Hampton, New Hampshire. Founder John Cram built grist and sawmills here in the late 18th century. Since 1901, Globe Manufacturing has made protective clothing for firefighters here.
The town claimed the Guinness World Record in July 2001 as the place where the most people wore Groucho Marx glasses at the same time (522). Before Pittsfield's attempt, no other town had tried to set the record.
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 1768, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Pittsfield’s post office opened in 1818, and the first U.S. census counted 888 people here in 1790.
How does Pittsfield rank for history?
Pittsfield is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #4 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 Pittsfield?
One place: the Pittsfield Center Historic District (listed 1980).
How old are the homes in Pittsfield?
31% of Pittsfield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.6 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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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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