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A+History
History · Malone

Malone dates to 1802, and 45% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 97% of U.S. towns · #69 of 758 in New York. What drives it

9 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 313 buildings between them. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1880.

1802founded
9on the National Register
45%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
7famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Malone’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Malone began

When was Malone founded?

1802

Malone dates its founding to 1802 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 4,193 in 18802020 census: 12,433224 years

How historic is Malone?

A+

More historic than 97% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1807.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Malone’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Malone is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #69 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 Malone’s overall grade.
Founding era1802, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194044.6% of homes (±4.9) · typical NY town 26.6% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register9 listings, 320 historic buildings, 274 per 10,000 residents · typical NY town 12.3 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 97%
NewerOlder
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 91%

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 Malone’s 274 sits above most of its state (85% of New York towns have fewer) while its 320 historic buildings outnumber those of 95% 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 (±4.9 points). Two sources give 1802.

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 Malone’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Malone Residential Historic District takes in 246 historic buildings.A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Lost villages3 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Malone, and 4 old place names are still on the map.Mapped building by building6 fire insurance maps, 1884 to 1914, drew every building in Malone.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

9 listings protect 320 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
9
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
320
each building in a district counts
first listed
1975
Anselm Lincoln House
Anselm Lincoln House, built 1830US Post Office-MaloneFirst Congregational ChurchMalone ArmoryHorton GristmillPaddock BuildingMalone Freight DepotMalone Downtown Historic DistrictMalone Residential Historic District
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival1
Classical Revival1
Late Victorian1
Romanesque1
Anselm Lincoln HouseBuilt 1830
US Post Office-MaloneGreek Revival
First Congregational ChurchLate Victorian
Malone ArmoryBuilding
All 9 listings
Horton GristmillBuilding · listed 1975Paddock BuildingBuilding · listed 1976Malone Freight DepotBuilding · listed 1976Malone Downtown Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2021Malone Residential Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2025

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Help out

Start Malone’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Malone’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewMalone, N.Y: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Malone’s post office has been open since 1807. Three other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Malone
1807–today
Titusville
1857–1859
Chasm Falls
1887–1906
Whippleville
1887–today
Kempton
1905–1926
18001910today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Chasm FallsMalone JunctionTebovilleWhippleville
Gone or out of use
Chasm Falls StationlocaleDuane Street SchoolschoolFayetteville SchoolschoolFoot SchoolschoolFranklin Drive-InlocaleHawkins SchoolschoolPark Street SchoolschoolRaymond Street SchoolschoolSchool Number 1schoolSchool Number 11schoolSchool Number 12schoolSchool Number 14schoolSchool Number 16schoolSchool Number 17schoolSchool Number 18schoolSchool Number 2schoolSchool Number 21schoolSchool Number 25school
10cemeteries and burying grounds inside Malone
Chasm Falls MethodistDimmickKimptonMorningsideNotre DameSaint Helen'sSaint John BoscoSaint JosephsSaint JosephsWebster Street

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How Malone came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Malone.

Read it all →

The community was first settled around 1802. During the War of 1812, the village was sacked by British troops making incursions from what would become Canada.

Malone was incorporated as a village in 1853 when it reached a population of 2,039. It served as a staging point for one arm of the 1866 and 1870 Fenian raids of Canada, which took place at many points along the Canada–United States border. The Fenian Brotherhood (Fenians) attempted to capture Canada to end British rule of Ireland.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Malone, 1802 to 1950

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1802
    FoundingMalone is established
  3. 1807Post officeThe Malone post office opens
  4. 1828Born hereWilliam S. King is born here
  5. 1830BuiltAnselm Lincoln House is built
  6. 1837Born hereDaniel H. Sumner is born here
  7. 1845Born hereRobert A. Childs is born here
  8. 1857Post officeThe Titusville post office opens
  9. 1859Post officeThe Titusville post office closes
  10. 1867Born hereCharles Henry Robb is born here
  11. 1886In the archiveMalone, N.Y
  12. 1887Post officeThe Chasm Falls post office opens
  13. 20th century
  14. 1906Post officeThe Chasm Falls post office closes
  15. 1915On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  16. 1920In the archiveThe Malone Paper Co. mill at Malone, N.Y
  17. 1950CensusPopulation peaks at 9,501
By decade

Malone, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s1 item
Malone, N.Y1886Malone, N.Y
1890s–1910snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
1920s1 item
The Malone Paper Co. mill at Malone, N.Y1920The Malone Paper Co. mill at Malone, N.Y
1930s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Today10 recent
Malone, New York2010Malone, New YorkMalone, New York2010Malone, New YorkMalone, New York2010Malone, New YorkMalone, New York2010Malone, New YorkMalone, New York2010Malone, New YorkMalone, New York (2010)2010Malone, New York (2010)Malone NY2010Malone NY2010 Census Urban Cluster Reference Map for20102010 Census Urban Cluster Reference Map forBookMalone ny-kmf2007Malone ny-kmfMainStreetMaloneNy19072007MainStreetMaloneNy1907
On the map

Malone on the map, 1915 to 1964

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Malone. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Malone on the 1915 USGS mapMalone on the 1964 USGS map1915Malone 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 Malone.

Every building

Malone, building by building, 1884–1914

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.

Malone fire insurance map, 1884, sheet 11884Sheet 1 of 6
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Malone, N.Y
Retake this viewMalone, N.Y, 1886

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Malone’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Malone, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 9,501

Peaked at 9,501 in 1950; 5,483 people lived here in 2020.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Malone’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

7 famous people were born in Malone

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Daniel H. SumnerAmerican politician · b. 1837
Robert A. ChildsU.S. Representative from Illinois · b. 1845
William S. KingAmerican politician · b. 1828
Charles Henry RobbUnited States federal judge · b. 1867
Clarence E. KilburnAmerican politician · b. 1893
G
Georgia Wood PangbornAmerican writer of novels and short stories · b. 1872
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Bellmont1 historic placeA−BangorIts storyB+BrandonIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townConstable1 historic placeB+Burke1 historic placeA−Duane2 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townWestvilleIts storyC

Questions about Malone’s history

What year was Malone founded?

In 1802, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Malone’s post office opened in 1807, and the census of 1880 counted 4,193 people here.

How does Malone rank for history?

Malone is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #69 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 Malone?

9 listings: 7 buildings, among them the Anselm Lincoln House (listed 1975, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Malone Downtown Historic District and the Malone Residential Historic District, with 313 contributing buildings. 320 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Malone?

45% of Malone’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.9 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1949.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (9), 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.