Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1794.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Southampton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Southampton is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #86 of 758 in New York. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Southampton’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 Southampton’s 1,212 sits above most of its state (97% of New York towns have fewer) while its 560 historic buildings outnumber those of 97% 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 (±4.2 points). Two sources give 1640.
Founding year: Wikidata (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 Southampton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
The town was founded in 1640, when settlers from Lynn, Massachusetts, established residence on lands obtained from local Shinnecock Indian Nation. The first settlers included eight men, one woman, and a boy who came ashore at Conscience Point. These men were Thomas Halsey, Edward Howell, Edmond Farrington, Allen Bread, Edmund Needham, Abraham Pierson the Elder, Thomas Sayre, Josiah Stanborough, George Welbe, Henry Walton and Job Sayre. By July 7, 1640, they had determined the town boundaries. During the next few years (1640–43), Southampton gained another 43 families; there are now thousands of people in Southampton.
Passages that mention Southampton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The early history of Southampton, L. I., New York, with genealogies1887 · page 186Read the page →
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Watermill, two at Mecox, two in Sagg, two in Bridge Hampton, one at Scuttle Hole, and others west of the village of Southampton. Of these the oldest is that known as the South end burying ground, in the village of Southampton, the earliest record concerning which is as follows : " January 5th, 1665. The overseers have agreed with James Herrick that hee shall have one acre of land at the reare of his home lott in consideration of a foot way for people upon his
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of the town of Southampton (east of Canoe place)1918 · page 90Read the page →
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Southampton at once turned to Connecticut, as did also Southold and East Hampton, for aid and advice, but that Colony at the moment had her hands full with her own concerns. In August the five eastern Towns appointed delegates and sent a list of demands to the Dutch which they required should be met before submission would be made.* In spite of the fact that one of these was refused, the Town of Southampton, on the
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The early history of Southampton, L. I., New York, with genealogies1866 · page 184Read the page →
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North Sea, one at Wickapogue, one at Watermill, two at Mecox, two in Sagg, two in Bridge Hampton, one at Scuttle Hole, and others west of the village of Southampton. Of these the oldest is that known as the South end burying ground, in the village of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The early history of Southampton, L. I., New York, with genealogies1887 · page 330Read the page →
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John Jennings, the ancestor of this family in Southampton, is first mentioned residing in Hartford in 1639. He is first mentioned in Southampton on the list of inhabitants of 1657. In 1662 he bought of the homestead of John Oldfields, in Southampton (as North Sea was then called). The inventory of his estate amounted to £77 0s. 6d.
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.
By decade
Southampton, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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 1640, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Southampton’s post office opened in 1794, and the first U.S. census counted 3,408 people here in 1790.
How does Southampton rank for history?
Southampton is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #86 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.
How old are the homes in Southampton?
18% of Southampton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.2 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1985.
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 the Library of Congress (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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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