On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bellerose is more historic than 63% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bellerose’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 Bellerose’s 26.4 sits near the middle of its state (60% of New York towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±17.4 points).
Founding year: the first census (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 Bellerose’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
What is now the village was founded by Helen Marsh of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. In 1907, planning to build a model community, Marsh purchased 77 acres (310,000 m2) of Floral Park gladiola fields. The first Bellerose home was completed, under Marsh's supervision, in 1910. Marsh persuaded the Long Island Rail Road to place a station in the new village, and she named the station Bellerose. Though it has been suggested that she named the station for the Rose farm – located to the south of the railroad – and her daughter Belle, she said that she simply found the name "euphonious". A vote of the homeowners made the name official in 1917.
Bellerose incorporated itself as a village in 1924 in order to gain and maintain home rule.
The Bellerose post office opened in 1930, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Bellerose rank for history?
Bellerose is more historic than 63% 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 Bellerose?
77% of Bellerose’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±17.4 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, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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