Pierrepont dates to 1818, and 20% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 80% of U.S. towns · #422 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Pierrepont Town Buildings and the Gardner Cox House. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1910 on, and the census since 1820.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Pierrepont is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #422 of 758 in New York. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Pierrepont’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 Pierrepont’s 15.9 sits near the middle of its state (53% of New York towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1818.
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 (±7.1 points).
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Pierrepont’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first European-American settlers arrived around 1806/7, after the American Revolutionary War, when many settlers from New England migrated into upstate New York. The town was established in 1818 from parts of the Towns of Russell and Potsdam. Later the town gave up territory to form, in whole or part, the Towns of Fine (1844), Clifton (1868), and Clare (1882).
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 1818, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Pierrepont’s post office opened in 1819, and the census of 1820 counted 235 people here.
How does Pierrepont rank for history?
Pierrepont is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #422 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 Pierrepont?
Two places: the Pierrepont Town Buildings (listed 1982) and the Gardner Cox House (1986).
How old are the homes in Pierrepont?
20% of Pierrepont’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.1 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1976.
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 (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
