On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Sennett is more historic than 69% of U.S. towns, #535 of 758 in New York. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Sennett’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 Sennett’s 6.1 sits near the middle of its state (38% of New York towns have fewer) while its 2 historic buildings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.2 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Sennett’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The land that now makes up the town of Sennett was part of the Central New York Military Tract, land reserved for war veterans. Prominent resident Daniel Sennett, a circuit judge, settled in the area in 1795 .
Sennett was formed from the towns of Brutus and Aurelius on March 19, 1827. In 1859, a portion of the town land was re-allocated to contribute territory to the town of Throop . Sennett also contributed some of its southwestern territory to the city of Auburn.
The Sennett Federated Church and Parsonage, built in 1848, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Passages that mention Sennett, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Cayuga County, New York1908 · page 436Read the page →
Read the text
Bovier built the first mill, in 1798. The first church was formed in 1798, by Reverend Abram Brokaw SENNETT The town of Sennett was formed from Brutus, March 19, 1827, and was named from Judge Daniel Sennett, an early pioneer. A portion of Throop was taken off in 1859. It lies on the east border af the county, near the center, and has a level or gently undulating surface, the ridges rising in long gradual slopes, fifty to one hundred
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
with Orlem White at Milan ; admitted to the bar at Ithaca, Tompkins County, in 1855 ; he practised in the villages of Milan and Moravia and was a justice of the peace of the town of Locke for sixteen years and a supervisor in 1863-4. He died in the town of Sennett on October 19, 1903.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Brown Alfred T. caniage, wagon and sleigh manufacturer ; b Cayuga Co. 1852 ; p o Auburn, box 1129 Crossman Hiram P. res lot 9, farmer ; b Sennett 1820 ; p o Sennett Coburn Millard B. farmer and justice of the peace ; b Sennett 1831 ; p o Sennett Cook Lydia. wife of M. B. Cobni-n: b Elbridge 1840, s 'G5 ; p o Sennett
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Mr. Coburn at this time is living on his small farm, near the village of Sennett. He possesses in a remarkable degree his powers of mind and body. As his busy life, now already lengthened several years beyond the allotted three score and ten. is drawing towards its close, he has the sweet consolation of having performed its duties and fulfilled its obligations with that honesty of purpose that springs from a heart filled with love and revarence for the Supreme Being, and a desire that the world should be better for his having
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
Sennett, 1831 to 2010
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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.
Sennett is more historic than 69% of U.S. towns, #535 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 Sennett?
One place: the Sennett Federated Church and Parsonage (listed 2005).
How old are the homes in Sennett?
22% of Sennett’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.2 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1973.
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), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, 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.
1904
2009
