Northumberland’s post office opened in 1808, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 58% of U.S. towns · #618 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Most of Northumberland was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1993. Its Register listings are the Gansevoort Mansion, the Col. Sidney Berry House and the Dutch Reformed Church of Gansevoort. Its Register listings are the Gansevoort Mansion, the Col. Sidney Berry House and the Dutch Reformed Church of Gansevoort. Below: maps from 1900 on and the census since 1820.
How Northumberland began, and where its name came from
When was Northumberland founded?
1808
The Northumberland post office opened in 1808, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Pope's Corners (1844) and Bacon Hill (1857), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 1,279 in 18202020 census: 5,242218 years
How did Northumberland get its name?
The name derives from Northumberland, a county in the United Kingdom.
How historic is Northumberland?
B
More historic than 58% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Northumberland is more historic than 58% of U.S. towns, #618 of 758 in New York. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Northumberland’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 Northumberland’s 11.5 sits near the middle of its state (48% of New York towns have fewer) while its 6 historic buildings outnumber those of 72% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B+. The pre-1940 share (±2.8 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 Northumberland’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area was first settled around 1765. Previously, it was in the territory of Mohican natives, who had two villages in the town.
During the Battle of Saratoga, Burgoyne's army crossed the Hudson from east to west in Northumberland, at a point where now can be found Hudson Crossing Park. From there, he headed south with the intent of capturing Albany.
The town was formed in 1798 from the Town of Saratoga. Parts of its territory were subsequently removed to form the new towns; Hadley (1801), Moreau (1805), and Wilton (1818).
The Col. Sidney Berry House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Passages that mention Northumberland, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania ..1911 · page 347Read the page →
Read the text
Keefer has built nine bridges across the Juniata river; the Northumberland bridge across the Susquehanna (1876); the bridgi across the Susquehanna between Milton and West Milton ; and about one hundred other bridges, large and small, in various parts of Pennsylvania. He bas built a number of schoolhouses in Sunbury, Altoona, Bei wick and other cities, at times employing as mam
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania ..1911 · page 278Read the page →
Read the text
which he followed for the long period of thirtyfive years, until he was fifty-live years old. building saw and grist mills in Lycoming, Columbia, Montour. Northumberland and Schuylkill counties; he worked at his trade considerably in the eastern part of Northumberland county, putting up live or six gristmills on Roaring creek. During part of the time be was engaged at his trade he
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
Northumberland, 1800 to 2020
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Northumberland. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1900Schuylerville 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 Northumberland.
On the National Register
3 historic places in Northumberland
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
The Northumberland post office opened in 1808, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Northumberland rank for history?
Northumberland is more historic than 58% of U.S. towns, #618 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 Northumberland?
Three places: the Gansevoort Mansion (listed 1976), the Col. Sidney Berry House (2003) and the Dutch Reformed Church of Gansevoort (1995).
How old are the homes in Northumberland?
4% of Northumberland’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.8 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1993.
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 (4), 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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