Dix’s post office opened in 1856, and 40% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 83% of U.S. towns · #379 of 758 in New York. What drives it
10 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 33 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1898 on, and the census since 1840.
The Dix post office opened in 1856, the earliest record of the town by name. Five smaller post offices, Moreland (1825), Townsend (1828) and Watkins (1852), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 1,990 in 18402020 census: 3,757170 years
How did Dix get its name?
Dix was named for the Hon.
How historic is Dix?
A−
More historic than 83% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Dix is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns, #379 of 758 in New York. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Dix’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 Dix’s 126 sits above most of its state (78% of New York towns have fewer) while its 46 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% 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 (±6.8 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 Dix’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Dix was formed on April 17, 1835, from the Town of Catlin (Chemung County) before the formation of Schuyler County. It was named for the Hon. John A. Dix. The Chemung Canal was completed in 1833 and connected the south end of Seneca Lake to the Chemung River. The path of the canal was the Catharine Creek Valley, running along the eastern part of Dix. The Cayuga-Seneca Canal at the north end of the lake connected the system to the Erie Canal.
In 1842, what is now the village of Watkins Glen was incorporated and set off from the town as "Jefferson."
The Dix post office opened in 1856, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Dix rank for history?
Dix is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns, #379 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 Dix?
10 listings: 8 buildings, among them the Schuyler County Courthouse Complex (listed 1974, the first), 1 historic district, the Watkins Glen Commercial Historic District, with 33 contributing buildings, and 1 structure. 46 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Dix?
40% of Dix’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.8 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1952.
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 National Register of Historic Places (10), Wikipedia, 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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