Colesville’s post office opened in 1806, and 34% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 82% of U.S. towns · #392 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Ouaquaga Lenticular Truss Bridge and the Harpursville United Methodist Church. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1905 on, and the census since 1830.
The Colesville post office opened in 1806, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1821. Ten smaller post offices, Harpersville (1821), Susquehannah (1826) and New Ohio (1829), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 2,389 in 18302020 census: 4,868220 years
How historic is Colesville?
A−
More historic than 82% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Colesville post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1821.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Colesville’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Colesville is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns, #392 of 758 in New York. 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 Colesville’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 Colesville’s 4.2 sits below most of its state (32% of New York towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% 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 (±7.1 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1821 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Colesville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area was first settled circa 1785. Nathaniel Cole, father of Anthony Cole, settled at Cole’s Hill in 1795, and the town of Colesville was named after him. The town was established in 1821 from part of the town of Windsor.
Robert Harpur, an early developer, has lent his name to the community of Harpursville. Harpur is believed to be responsible for the many classical names assigned to communities in central New York.
The Colesville post office opened in 1806, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1821.
How does Colesville rank for history?
Colesville is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns, #392 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 Colesville?
Two places: the Ouaquaga Lenticular Truss Bridge (listed 2003) and the Harpursville United Methodist Church (2006).
How old are the homes in Colesville?
34% of Colesville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.1 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1971.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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