Its Register listing is the U.S. Inspection Station-Chateaugay, New York. Its Register listing is the U.S. Inspection Station-Chateaugay, New York. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1820.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1807.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Chateaugay’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Chateaugay is more historic than 83% 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 Chateaugay’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 Chateaugay’s 5.0 sits below most of its state (35% 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 (±8.8 points). Two sources give 1796.
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 Chateaugay’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Peaked at 3,728 in 1850; 1,743 people lived here in 2020.
21 censuses, 1820–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Chateaugay’s Wikipedia page.
Every building
Chateaugay, building by building, 1884–1912
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 town was formed in 1799 before Franklin County was established, from parts of the towns of Champlain and Plattsburgh. By 1802, Chateaugay comprised most of Franklin County. Subsequently, its territory was reduced to form other towns. The town of Malone was set off from Chateaugay in 1805. When Franklin County was established from Clinton County, part of Chateaugay remained in Clinton County. The town of St. Armand was taken off in 1822 and placed in Essex County. The remaining three towns derived from Chateaugay remained in Franklin County: Bellmont (1833) and Franklin (taken from Bellmont in 1834), and Burke (1844).
Chateaugay’s post office has been open since 1807.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Brayton HollowCooks MillEarlville
Gone or out of use
Chateau HotelbuildingChateaugay High SchoolschoolSchool Number 12schoolSchool Number 13schoolSchool Number 14schoolSchool Number 15schoolSchool Number 16schoolSchool Number 17schoolSchool Number 2schoolSchool Number 3schoolSchool Number 4schoolSchool Number 5schoolSchool Number 7schoolSchool Number 8schoolSchool Number 9school
In 1796, according to Wikidata. Chateaugay’s post office opened in 1807, and the census of 1820 counted 828 people here.
How does Chateaugay rank for history?
Chateaugay is more historic than 83% 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.
What is on the National Register in Chateaugay?
One place: the U.S. Inspection Station-Chateaugay, New York (listed 2014).
How old are the homes in Chateaugay?
40% of Chateaugay’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.8 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1972.
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 (5), the Library of Congress (5), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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 and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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