Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 79% of U.S. towns · #432 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Its Register listings are . Below: maps from 1902 on and the census since 1900.
Suffern dates its founding to 1773 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1900.
More historic than 79% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Suffern is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #432 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 Suffern’s 1.7 sits below most of its state (24% of New York towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
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 →
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 Suffern’s history is told.
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.
1902Sheet 1 of 4Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Suffern. 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 Suffern.
From Wikipedia’s history of Suffern.
"The Point of the Mountains" or "Sidman's Clove" were names used before the American Revolution to designate the present village of Suffern. The area originally was inhabited by the Ramapough, a tribe of Munsee, who were a division of the Lenape tribe. Upon Sidman's death, this land passed into the hands of his son-in-law, John Smith, who sold it to John Suffern.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Suffern, cut from the printed page as they were published.
This company, of which Halstead Coe, Edward Suffern, Josiah Conklin, John Knap, John D. Coe, Elias Gurnee, Andrew Suffern, John Felter, and Abram Dater were trustees, was authorized to issue stock to the amount of 640 shares, at $25 a share, and to build a turnpike, “to begin at the dwelling house of John Suffern, situated in the town of New Hempstead, from thence in a direct course, as nearly as may be, to such a
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The main road enters the town at Sloatsburg and leaves at Suffern, and along its line in the town are Sloatsburg, Sterlington, Ramapo Works, Hillburn, and Suffern. The “ Piermont Branch,” starting from Suffern, leaves the town at Spring Valley, and along its line in the town are Suffern, Tallman’s, Monsey, and Spring Valley.
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.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born hereJean Muir is born here
Born hereValerie Harper is born here
Born hereClaudio Sanchez is born here
Born hereDave Annable is born hereThe country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Grew from 1,619 people in 1900 to 11,441 in 2020, 7 times over.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Suffern’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.
In 1773, according to Wikidata. Suffern’s post office opened in 1797, and the census of 1900 counted 1,619 people here.
Suffern is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #432 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.
18% of Suffern’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.7 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1971.
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 (5), Wikidata (1), 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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