Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1815.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Bainbridge’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bainbridge is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bainbridge’s overall grade.
New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bainbridge’s 813 sits above most of its state (95% of New York towns have fewer) while its 96 historic buildings outnumber those of 89% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1788.
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 (±8.9 points).
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 Bainbridge’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Bainbridge was originally settled by Native Americans of the Iroquois nations. During the American Revolution, these tribes became allies of the British and commenced raids on American settlements. In 1779, George Washington ordered the Sullivan Expedition into what is today Upstate New York. When General James Clinton reached the Bainbridge area, the tribes had fled to sanctuary in Upper Canada. Clinton's forces destroyed their homes and crops, including their winter stores.
The town was first settled by European Americans circa 1788, first by a group called the "Vermont Sufferers". These were people from land in Eastern New York, who had lost their claims due to land sales by Vermont for the same claims.
In 1788, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Bainbridge’s post office opened in 1815.
How does Bainbridge rank for history?
Bainbridge is more historic than 98% 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.
How old are the homes in Bainbridge?
57% of Bainbridge’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.9 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1938.
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 (12), Wikipedia and Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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