Shandaken dates to 1804, and 41% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 97% of U.S. towns · #72 of 758 in New York. What drives it
9 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 125 buildings. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1900 on, and the census since 1820.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1805.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Shandaken’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Shandaken is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #72 of 758 in New York. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Shandaken’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 Shandaken’s 491 sits above most of its state (92% of New York towns have fewer) while its 137 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.4 points). Two sources give 1804.
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 Shandaken’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The town was first settled around the time of the American Revolution. Shandaken was established as a town in 1804 from part of the Town of Woodstock.
In 1809, the town was increased by territory from the Town of Neversink (in Sullivan County). Later, some of Shandaken was used to help form the Towns of Denning, Hardenburgh, and Olive. By the final years of the 19th century, Shandaken had developed the tourist industry which is still the most important part of its economy.
An alternate translation of the native word "shandaken" is the "place of the hemlocks."
The Mount Tremper Fire Observation Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.
Passages that mention Shandaken, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Ulster County, New York1907 · page 258Read the page →
Read the text
The town is bounded on the north by Delaware county and the town of Shandaken, on the east by Shandaken and Denning, on the south by Shandaken and Sullivan county, and on the west by Delaware county. It was formed from Denning and Shandaken in 1859, and named after Johannes Hardenburgh, who was the original patentee of a vast mountain tract which covered large parts of this and adjoining counties. The average elevation of the town is about 1,800 feet, and there are three lofty mountain peaks within its limits. These are Graham Mountain,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Ulster County, New York1907 · page 368Read the page →
Read the text
The following is a sample of pioneer life in Shandaken. Old Peter Crispell, came to the town as a pioneer settler from Marbletown before 1800. He settled at Shandaken Center, as the village of Shandaken was formerly called, on the property now owned by Bernard Garrety, where he built a stone house, which is still standing. The country was then a wilderness, and he depended on Marbletown for his supply of provisions. A horse owned by him, named “Figure” and a boy living in the family, made frequent visits to Marbletown and brought back such sup-
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
Shandaken, 1804 to 1980
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.
In 1804, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Shandaken’s post office opened in 1805, and the census of 1820 counted 1,043 people here.
How does Shandaken rank for history?
Shandaken is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #72 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 Shandaken?
9 listings: 6 buildings, among them the Camp Wapanachki (listed 1994, the first), 1 historic district, the Pine Hill Historic District, with 125 contributing buildings, and 2 structures. 137 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Shandaken?
41% of Shandaken’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.4 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1952.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (9), 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.
1875
1875
2003