Greenport dates to 1837, and 15% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 79% of U.S. towns · #430 of 758 in New York. What drives it
7 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Olana, a National Historic Landmark. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1895 on, and the census since 1840.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1857.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Greenport’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Greenport is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #430 of 758 in New York. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Greenport’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 Greenport’s 27.1 sits near the middle of its state (60% of New York towns have fewer) while its 12 historic buildings outnumber those of 77% 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 (±6.7 points). Two sources give 1837.
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 Greenport’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The region was explored by Henry Hudson in 1609. The town was established in 1837 from part of the city of Hudson and was previously part of the town of Claverack. Greenport was the last town founded in the county.
The Van Salsbergen House, built about 1700, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. Also listed are the Columbia Turnpike-West Tollhouse, Turtle House, and Henry (Hendrick) I. Van Rensselaer House.
Passages that mention Greenport, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Columbia County, New York. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1878 · page 361Read the page →
Read the text
It is not an easy matter to determine now who first settled within the present limits of the town of Greenport. The site of the first house erected, and the name of the first family occupying the same, are alike lost in the darkness of the remote past. Greenport was a part of ancient Claverack, and the name of the latter goes back two and a quarter centuries. The very early settlers that located farther up the river, in Kinderhook and Stockport, were
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Columbia County, New York. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1878 · page 364Read the page →
Read the text
This is frequently called Oak Hill, but Oak Hill is really the old steamboat landing a little below, within the town of Livingston. Within a few years a post-ofiSce lias been established at the station ; until then the town of Greenport had no post-ofiBce. The vicinity of the Reformed church, in the south part of the town, is a thickly-settled neighborhood, marked on some of the maps as McKinstryville. It is a pleasant rural
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
Greenport, 1837 to 2020
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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.
In 1837, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Greenport’s post office opened in 1857, and the census of 1840 counted 1,161 people here.
How does Greenport rank for history?
Greenport is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #430 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 Greenport?
7 listings: 7 buildings, among them the Olana (a National Historic Landmark since 1965). 12 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Greenport?
15% of Greenport’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.7 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1965.
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 Library of Congress (3), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (7), 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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