2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 11 buildings. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1905 on, and the census since 1860.
The Waddington post office opened in 1819, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Sucker Brook (1892) and Chipman (1897), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 2,768 in 18602020 census: 2,235207 years
How historic is Waddington?
A
More historic than 87% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Waddington post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Waddington’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Waddington is more historic than 87% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Waddington’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 Waddington’s 59.4 sits above most of its state (70% of New York towns have fewer) while its 12 historic buildings outnumber those of 77% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.9 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 →
What stands out about Waddington’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Waddington’s post office has been open since 1819. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Waddington
1819–today
Sucker Brook
1892–1893
Chipman
1897–1903
18101920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
ChipmanDalton CrossingDrews CornerHalfway House CornersSucker Brook
Gone or out of use
School Number 10schoolSchool Number 11schoolSchool Number 12schoolSchool Number 13schoolSchool Number 2schoolSchool Number 2schoolSchool Number 3schoolSchool Number 4schoolSchool Number 6schoolSchool Number 7schoolSchool Number 9school
6cemeteries and burying grounds inside Waddington
BrooksideChamberlain CornersOld Saint MarysSaint MarysScotchUnion
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
On the map
Waddington on the map, 1905 to 1964
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Waddington. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1905Waddington sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Waddington.
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.
The Waddington post office opened in 1819, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Waddington rank for history?
Waddington is more historic than 87% of U.S. towns. 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 Waddington?
Two places: the Waddington Historic District (listed 1992) and the Chase Mills Inn (1978).
How old are the homes in Waddington?
23% of Waddington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.9 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1982.
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 (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1905