Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. What drives it
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 219 buildings. Below: 8 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1900.
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Allentown is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. All 2 inputs put Allentown near the top nationally; its National Register listings ranks highest.
New Jersey towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New Jersey town has 3.7 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Allentown’s 1,293 sits above most of its state (98% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 220 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Allentown. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Allentown.
From Wikipedia’s history of Allentown.
Allentown was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 29, 1889, from portions of Upper Freehold Township, based on the results of a referendum held that day. The borough was named for settler Robert Burnet's son-in-law, Nathan Allen or for William Allen, who served as Chief Justice of the Province of Pennsylvania.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Allentown, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Imlay, Howell, postmaster of Prospertown, 1882, 638 Imlay, Isaac, first lieutenant. Continental Army, 1776, 232 Imlay, James, original member of Perseverance Fire Company, Allentown, 1818, 621 member of Allentown Presbyterian Church, appeared at Presbytery, 1 796, 626 trustee, Allentown Presbyterian Church, 1793, 629 postmaster, Allentown, 1804, 631
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Burlew, Rev. W.H., pastor Baptist Church of Allentown, 1878, 630 Burlinghame, James, superintendent cotton-factory, Allentown, 1814, 631 school trustee, Allentown, 1834, 631 Burlington, session of Assembly held at, 1704, 36 Burlington Path, Indian trail, description of, 50 part of township boundary-line, 1693, 103
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In the archiveSketch of the road from Black Horse to Crosswick
Born hereJohn B. Montgomery is born here
Born hereGeorge R. Robbins is born here
In the archiveAllentown (Village); Ellisdale (Village); Charlston Springs (Village); Upper Freehold Tow…
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
In the archiveItalianate - Allentown, NJ (vicinity) - Route 539 farmhouse (1)3 decades in the archive, from the 1770s to the 1980s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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.
1910Sheet 1 of 5Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Allentown’s page.
Retake this view · +15Between 634 and 1,962 people in every census since 1900.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Allentown’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Allentown’s post office has been open since 1794.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Allentown is among the most historic 1% 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.
Two places: the Allentown Mill (listed 1978) and the Allentown Historic District (1982).
33% of Allentown’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.9 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1955.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.
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