25% of Cortlandville’s homes were built before 1940
More historic than 91% of U.S. towns · #255 of 758 in New York. What drives it
4 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 39 buildings between them. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1903 on, and the census since 1830.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Cortlandville is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns, #255 of 758 in New York. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Cortlandville’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 Cortlandville’s 59.2 sits above most of its state (70% of New York towns have fewer) while its 49 historic buildings outnumber those of 85% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.1 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Cortlandville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Airport Drive-InlocaleCarr Hill SchoolschoolHoxie Gorge SchoolschoolRussell SchoolschoolSchool Number 1schoolSchool Number 10schoolSchool Number 10schoolSchool Number 11schoolSchool Number 14schoolSchool Number 15schoolSchool Number 16schoolSchool Number 17schoolSchool Number 3schoolSchool Number 6schoolSchool Number 7schoolSchool Number 8schoolShearer Schoolschool
5cemeteries and burying grounds inside Cortlandville
The area was first settled in 1792 at Lorings Corners. In 1829, the town was taken from the south part of the town of Homer. The town was increased by additional land from the town of Virgil in 1845.
In 1853, the village of Cortland (the present city of Cortland) was incorporated as a village, and was reincorporated in 1864.
New York authorized a normal school (now State University of New York at Cortland) to be erected in the region in 1866.
popular series of school-books that bear his name. He resided in the town of Cortlandville for almost thirtyyears, and spent much time in teaching. He is the author of twenty-five different works, all of which have been stereotyped from the manuscript. His text books have given him a just and an enviable reputation.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
and on the East river, near the County House. The Baptist Church was erected in 1811, and dedicated in June, 1812. It was located within the present limits of Cortlandville, about one " half mile north of the old Court House." In the autumn of 1825, efforts were made by the association to secure a more advantageous change in the location of church organizations, which happily resulted in the formation of a church in Homer and
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
Cortlandville, 1829 to 2010
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Cortlandville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1903Cortland 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 Cortlandville.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewCortland Academy, Homer, N.Y, c. 1860
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Cortlandville’s page.
Cortlandville is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns, #255 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 Cortlandville?
4 listings: 2 buildings, among them the Cortland County Poor Farm (listed 1982, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Randall Farm and the Main Street Historic District, with 39 contributing buildings. 49 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Cortlandville?
25% of Cortlandville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.1 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1963.
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 (3), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, 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 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.
2023
2023
2018
