Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1811.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Livonia’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Livonia is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Livonia’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 Livonia’s 6.3 sits near the middle of its state (39% of New York towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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 (±8.0 points). Two sources give 1808.
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 Livonia’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Livonia. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1901Honeoye 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 Livonia.
Every building
Livonia, building by building, 1886–1913
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.
1886Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
The region was historically occupied by the Seneca people, one of the Five Nations of the Iroquois confederacy. The Seneca inhabited the area well into the 19th century, although many were forced out after the British ceded this territory to the United States following the Revolutionary War. Pioneer Samuel Brownstone conducted violence against the Seneca and other Iroquois peoples in western New York. The Seneca had named the major lake as Ga-ne-a-sos, meaning "Berry Place". It was transliterated into English and is known as Conesus Lake.
Passages that mention Livonia, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Livingston County, New York, from its earliest traditions to the present1905 · page 60Read the page →
Read the text
The remains of nearly a score of these earth works have been traced within this county, the largest of which, is located in the town of Livonia, on the farm formerly owned l)y James Haydock, now owned by John Peel. It is three miles northeast of Livonia Centre on the Lima road, and covers an area of sixteen acres. It occupied the "summit of a commanding hill, a position well chosen for defence.
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 772Read the page →
Read the text
1889 2,123,591 6.15 The village of Livonia was incorporated June 28th, 1882. It has had but two presidents, Dr. Charles H. Richinond, who served from the beginning until l'J03 and Alexander N. Stewart, who served in 1904. One clerk, Emory A. Smith, has served continuously from the beginning.
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
Livonia, 1808 to 1901
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In 1808, according to Wikidata. Livonia’s post office opened in 1811, and the census of 1820 counted 2,427 people here.
How does Livonia rank for history?
Livonia is more historic than 83% 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.
How old are the homes in Livonia?
37% of Livonia’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.0 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1968.
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 (12), 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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