Gloversville’s post office opened in 1829, and 56% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 96% of U.S. towns · #122 of 758 in New York. What drives it
6 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 96 buildings between them. Below: 15 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1870.
From Gloversville’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers
How Gloversville began
When was Gloversville founded?
1829
The Gloversville post office opened in 1829, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1853. Another post office, Kingsborough (1825), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 4,518 in 18702020 census: 15,131197 years
How historic is Gloversville?
A+
More historic than 96% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Gloversville post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1853.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Gloversville’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Gloversville is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #122 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 Gloversville’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 Gloversville’s 66.8 sits above most of its state (71% of New York towns have fewer) while its 100 historic buildings outnumber those of 89% of U.S. towns.
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 (±4.2 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1853.
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 Gloversville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Every building
Gloversville, building by building, 1887–1912
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.
Settlers of European descent came to the Gloversville area as early as 1752.
The region, historically known as "Kingsborough", was acquired by Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet, who established tremendous influence with the Native Americans of the area, which translated into control of the Mohawk Valley region. It was due to Johnson where the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy remained allied with England during the French and Indian War. In reward, Johnson was granted the Kingsborough Tract, a large parcel of land which was settled by Scottish Highlanders. Some of the Highlanders were so loyal to Johnson that after the Revolutionary War, they followed his son to Canada.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The Gloversville post office opened in 1829, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1853.
How does Gloversville rank for history?
Gloversville is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #122 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 Gloversville?
6 listings: 4 buildings and 2 historic districts, the Downtown Gloversville Historic District and the Kingsboro Historic District, with 96 contributing buildings. 100 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Gloversville?
56% of Gloversville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.2 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 (7), the Library of Congress (11), the National Register of Historic Places (6), 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 Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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c. 1909
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