Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1807.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Dansville’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Dansville is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #105 of 758 in New York. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Dansville’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 Dansville’s 118 sits above most of its state (78% of New York towns have fewer) while its 55 historic buildings outnumber those of 86% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1795.
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 (±8.3 points).
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 Dansville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
A spa was opened in 1854, eventually attracting many prominent people to Dansville for the water cure. After a quick series of unsuccessful owners, it was purchased in September 1858 by new owners who recruited James Caleb Jackson as the physician-in-charge. He was assisted by his wife, known as "Mother Jackson", and their adopted daughter, Dr. Harriet Newell Austin. A Jackson family operation for many years, the family referred to it as the Jackson Sanatorium by 1890.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Dansville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1902Wayland 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 Dansville.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Dansville, 1881–1905
Passages that mention Dansville, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Livingston County, New York1881 · page 156Read the page →
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charges as compared with former rates, f During the four years from 1841 to 1844, it is said that 450 new buildings were erected in Dansville. X The citizens of Dansville were interested at an early day in the subject of railroads, for in 1832 a charter was granted for the construction of a road from Rochester to Dansville ; § but for thirty-nine years they awaited the fruition of these early hopes.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
1687. History of Livingston County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1881 · page 107Read the page →
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a series of meetings were held along the line of the proposed railroad, which culminated in the passage of an Act on the 2 2d of March, 1832, incorporating the Dansville and Rochester Railroad, for the construction of a steam railroad from Dansville to Rochester. This favorable legislation was joyfully received by the friends of the enterprise, prominent among whom, in this county, were Charles H.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Livingston County, New York, from its earliest traditions to the present1905 · page 503Read the page →
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In February, 1866, the people of the village of Dansville held a meeting at which resolutions were adopted declaring it expedient for the citizens of Dansville and the surrounding towns "to make a strong and earnest effort to procure an act of the Legislature at the present session, erecting a new county from portions of Livingston, Allegany and Steuben counties." The proposition was to include the towns of Groveland, Conesus, Mt. Morris, Nunda, Portage, Sparta, West Sparta, Ossian, North Dansville and Springwater in Livingston
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Livingston County, New York1881 · page 107Read the page →
Read the text
a series of meetings were held along the line of the proposed railroad, which culminated in the passage of an Act on the 2 2d of March, 1832, incorporating the Dansville and Rochester Railroad, for the construction of a steam railroad from Dansville to Rochester. This favorable legislation was joyfully received by the friends of the enterprise, prominent among whom, in this county, were Charles H.
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
Dansville, 1795 to 1902
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In 1795, according to Wikidata. Dansville’s post office opened in 1807, and the census of 1870 counted 3,387 people here.
How does Dansville rank for history?
Dansville is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #105 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.
How old are the homes in Dansville?
58% of Dansville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.3 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1938.
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 (11), Wikidata (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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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