Cazenovia dates to 1793, and 30% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 96% of U.S. towns · #119 of 758 in New York. What drives it
33 places in town are on the National Register, among them seven historic districts with 368 buildings between them. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1820.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1799.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Cazenovia’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Cazenovia is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #119 of 758 in New York. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Cazenovia’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 Cazenovia’s 653 sits above most of its state (94% of New York towns have fewer) while its 437 historic buildings outnumber those of 97% of U.S. towns.
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 (±4.1 points). Two sources give 1793.
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 Cazenovia’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The town of Cazenovia was established in 1793 from the towns of Whitestown and Paris (both in Oneida County) before the creation of Madison County. Subsequently, other towns in the county were formed from partitions of its territory. Cazenovia was part of a region called "The Gore", based on a surveying error.
It was founded by John Lincklaen, an agent of the Holland Land Company, and was named after Theophile Cazenove, Lincklaen's supervisor.
Passages that mention Cazenovia, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Madison County, state of New York1872Read the page →
History of Madison County, state of New York1872Read the page →
Read the text
quired a certain amount of population to organize a new town, Cazenovia required a wide territory, to embrace a sufficient number, when it was formed in 1795 ; consequently these first names, given by the proprietor, were dropped after a time, for the first town of Cazenovia included all their territory. In the subsequent division of towns, Cazenovia embraced Road Township ; the name of DeRuyter was transferred to Tromp Township ; Lincklaen
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
Cazenovia, 1793 to 2010
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cazenovia. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1897Cazenovia 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 Cazenovia.
Every building
Cazenovia, building by building, 1885–1911
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.
In 1793, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Cazenovia’s post office opened in 1799, and the census of 1820 counted 3,909 people here.
How does Cazenovia rank for history?
Cazenovia is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #119 of 758 in New York. 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 Cazenovia?
33 listings: 26 buildings, among them the Lorenzo (listed 1971, the first), and 7 historic districts with 368 contributing buildings. 437 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Cazenovia?
30% of Cazenovia’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.1 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1969.
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 (18), the National Register of Historic Places (33), 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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