Its Register listings are the District School 2, the District School 4 and the Phillips-Manning House. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1902 on, and the census since 1820.
The Coventry post office opened in 1815, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Coventryville (1828), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 1,431 in 18202020 census: 1,516211 years
How historic is Coventry?
A−
More historic than 80% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Coventry post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Coventry’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Coventry is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Coventry’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 Coventry’s 28.7 sits near the middle of its state (60% of New York towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% 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 (±6.3 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 Coventry’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first settlement took place circa 1785 near the current Coventry village. Coventry was formed from the town of Greene in 1806. In 1843, the area of the town was increased from parts of Greene and the town of Oxford.
Due to poor soil conditions, dairy herding was prominent from the pioneer days, leading to five butter and cheese factories in the town at one time in the past.
District School 4 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
Mabgabet of Anjon, queen of Henry VI., men of Coventry, turn against, 172; Coventry called "secret harbour" of, 147; reception of, at Coventry, 160-162; visits Coventry, 164, 165, 166 ; sees Mystery Plays, 133, 166, 341 J is reconciled to Warwick, 183.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
molished. The work of destruction, which was began by the earl of Northampton on July 22, 1662, occupied nearly 600 men for three weeks and three days,i and when it was over the history of Coventry as a fortification comes to a close. Moreover, the title of the bishopric was now transposed, running henceforth not Coventry and Lichfield, but Lichfield and Coventry.
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
Coventry, 1792 to 1923
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Coventry post office opened in 1815, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Coventry rank for history?
Coventry is more historic than 80% 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 Coventry?
Three places: the District School 2 (listed 2004), the District School 4 (2004) and the Phillips-Manning House (2017).
How old are the homes in Coventry?
18% of Coventry’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.3 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1982.
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 (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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 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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