Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1835.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Brocton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Brocton is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Brocton’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 Brocton’s 7.1 sits near the middle of its state (40% of New York towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±9.1 points). Two sources give 1805.
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 Brocton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Brocton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1900Dunkirk sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Brocton.
Every building
Brocton, building by building, 1901–1913
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.
The community was first settled in 1805 by Captain James Dunn. The village of Brocton was incorporated in 1894. Brocton used to be named "Salems Corners (Cross Roads)" after Salem, Massachusetts, but was later renamed "Brocton".
In 1913, to commemorate the town of Portland's Centennial, a green double-arch was erected over the town's main intersection. It is believed to be the only double-arch east of the Mississippi River. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
The St. Stephen's Hotel has been a fixture at the center of Brocton since the mid-1800s.
Passages that mention Brocton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people1921 · page 223Read the page →
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Universalist Society in Portland was incorporated, but no property was acquired and the church later ceased to exist. A Roman Catholic church was built at Brocton Station in 1873. The Evangelical Lutheran Church was formed in 1872. with a Swedish congregation, and a house of worship dedicated in 1883 at Brocton.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Chautauqua County, New York1875 · page 497Read the page →
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most of them rising in the highlands within the town, and flowing into the lake. The largest is Slippery Rock creek, which rises in the south-east part of the town and the town of Pomfret, and, passing east of and near the village of Brocton in a north-westerly direction, falls into the lake about 2 miles below that village. The Little Chautauqua creek, which rises in the town of Chautauqua, enters Portland about 2 miles from its south-west corittr, and, near the said corner, reenters Chautauqua, and unites with the principal branch of the Chautauqua a short distance south of the village of
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History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people1921 · page 222Read the page →
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6, 1822, this was organized as the First Baptist Society of Portland, and in 1834 a house of worship was erected near the center of the village of Brocton, the lot on which it stood donated by Deacon Elijah Fay, one of the first trustees. A brick church was dedicated December 18, 1867. The West Baptist Church in Portland was set off June 22, 1842, and a
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History of Chautauqua County, New York1875 · page 502Read the page →
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streams furnished water sufficient to propel saw-mills a considerable portion of the year; and nearly every water-fall was improved. But as the timber was removed, the streams diminished, until there are few which carry water enough to operate machinery of any kind. The earliest saw-mills in Brocton are said to have been built about the same time ; one by Wm. Dunham, on what is called Dunham's creek, commenced in the fall of 1816 ; the other, by Moses Sage, on Slippery Rock creek, at Brocton. It is believed that the former was commenced first, and that the latter was earliest in operation. Dr. Taylor,
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
Brocton, 1805 to 1945
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In 1805, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Brocton’s post office opened in 1835, and the census of 1870 counted 329 people here.
How does Brocton rank for history?
Brocton is more historic than 82% 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 Brocton?
32% of Brocton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.1 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1955.
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 Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.
