Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 53% of U.S. towns · #652 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1895 on, and the census since 1820.
The Rutland post office opened in 1806, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 53% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Rutland is more historic than 53% of U.S. towns, #652 of 758 in New York. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
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 Rutland’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (10% of New York towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% 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 first neighbors to add old photos shape how Rutland’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Rutland. 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 Rutland.
Rutland had its own post office from 1806 to 1899.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikipedia’s history of Rutland.
Prehistoric remains are evidence of an original early native population. The first modern settlement took place near Rutland Center circa 1799.
The town was formed from part of the town of Watertown in 1802, before the establishment of Jefferson County. In 1844, an island in the Black River at Felts Mills was annexed from the town of Le Ray.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Rutland, cut from the printed page as they were published.
In order to give a succinct and elaborate history of the Methodist Episcopal church in the town of Rutland, it will be necessary to include a portion at least of the history of the Black River Circuit, which is now entirely included within the towns of Rutland and Le Ray. Particularly is this requisite, as the old Rutland Hollow appointment is the oldest within the circuit, and one of the most ancient in the county. It was originally organized in 1821, under
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
An event in the early history of the town that caused much sympathy was the death of Avery Worden. On the afternoon of the 26th of February, 1810, the first school exhibition held in the town of Rutland was given at Heath's tavern, Rutland Centre. The school was taught by Charles Dayan, afterwards a prominent citizen of Lewis county, member of congress, senator, etc. It being something new, the house was crowded with spectators. Ezra Worden
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
This town was organized from Mexico, by the same act that created Champion, and other towns. March 14, 1800, the first town meeting being directed at the house of Asher Mdler, who resided near what is now the centre of the town of Rutland. In the general statute describing the several towns of the state, passed April 7, 1801, we find the following:
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 hereAugusta Larned is born here
In the archiveRutland (Township)
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyOne decade in the archive so far: the 1860s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Rutland’s page.
Retake this view · +15Between 1,622 and 3,060 people in every census since 1820.
21 censuses, 1820–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Rutland’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 Rutland post office opened in 1806, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Rutland is more historic than 53% of U.S. towns, #652 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.
16% of Rutland’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.6 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1981.
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 (1), 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.
