Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 96% of U.S. towns. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 176 buildings. Below: maps from 1899 on and the census since 1820.
The Northampton post office opened in 1810, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Osborn Bridge (1828) and Sacandaga Park (1887), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
More historic than 96% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Northampton is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
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 Northampton’s 694 sits above most of its state (94% of New York towns have fewer) while its 180 historic buildings outnumber those of 93% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Northampton’s history is told.
Northampton had its own post office from 1810 to 1937. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikipedia’s history of Northampton.
The town is derived from the Northampton Patent of 1741. and was formed from part of the northern part of the town of Broadalbin in 1799.
In 1930, the Sacandaga Reservoir was created, submerging some of what was once dry land and swamp area beneath the surface of the lake.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Northampton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Northampton Heights — The borough of Northampton Heights was fonnerly a part of the township of Lower Saucon. It is connected with the city of Bethlehem by a bridge over the Lehigh Valley railroad, and extends for about five blocks down two parallel streets. The population is estimated to be about 1,200, mostly employes of the Bethlehem Steel Works. During the late war the population was increased several thousands, a large percentage being Greeks, Hungarians, and Russians. At a short distance from the borough is located the Lehigh Coke Works, operated by the Bethlehem Steel
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
of Freeman M. Messinger, of Easton. Pennsylvania, their settlement in Northampton county, dating from 1743. The American ancestor, Michael Messinger, bought land in Forks township from the heirs of William Pcnn. there located and founded the important Messinger family of Northampton county. The line of descent to Freeman M. Messinger is thus traced. Michael Messinger was born in Switzerland, November 10, 1719, died October 24, 1791, in Northampton county, Pennsylvania. He married Catherine Abel, born April 23, 1723, died July i, 1785, and they were the parents
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
died May 12, 1736. They celebrated their golden wedding. Joseph Parsons, Jr., went as a boy with his father to Northampton. He was one of the earliest lawyers in Western Massachusetts, several years justice of the peace at Northampton, and twenty-three years judge of the Hampton County Court, being first commissioned October 16, 1696. He was a deputy to the General Court fourteen years, twelve from Northampton
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereSidney Dillon is born here
Born hereJulia Colman is born here
Born hereJohn Forrest Dillon is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Northampton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Northampton.
Between 1,291 and 2,829 people in every census since 1820.
20 censuses, 1820–2010.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Northampton’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Northampton post office opened in 1810, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Northampton is more historic than 96% 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.
Three places: the Sacandaga Railroad Station (listed 2003), the Northville Historic District (2014) and the Godfrey Shew House (2006).
31% of Northampton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.2 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1965.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (3), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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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