Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 97% of U.S. towns · #94 of 758 in New York. What drives it
6 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1820.
Warsaw dates its founding to 1804 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1820.
More historic than 97% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Warsaw is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #94 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.
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 Warsaw’s 213 sits above most of its state (83% of New York towns have fewer) while its 65 historic buildings outnumber those of 87% 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 Warsaw’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.
1886Sheet 2 of 4Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From Wikipedia’s history of Warsaw.
The Town of Warsaw was founded in 1803 from the Town of Batavia (in Genesee County). In 1812, part of Warsaw was used to form the new town of Town of Middlebury. Again in 1814, Warsaw was reduced to form the Town of Gainesville.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Warsaw, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Hannah Stearns, John Brown, Wm. Brown, Miriam Brown, Levi Kice, Hannah Pice, Jeremiah Truesdell, Elijah Hammond, Phoda Peed, Joanna Beardsley. A Baptist church having been formed in Middlebury, then a part of Warsaw, this church was called the " Second Baptist Church of Warsaw." After the town of Middlebury had been formed into a separate town, this church was called the " Eirst Baptist
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The following is a copy of the original subscription: " We, the subscribers, being anxious that a good church bell should be procured for the Meeting-House in Union Society, in the village of Warsaw, and in consideration that the Trustees of said Society have agreed that such sums as shall be paid towards procuring a Bell for said Meeting- House, shall be appropriated and applied in payment for a slip or seat in said Meeting-House, in the same manner as if the same money
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.
Born hereAugustus Frank is born here
In the archiveWarsaw, N.Y
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born hereBarber Conable is born here
Born hereJames C. Adamson is born hereOne decade in the archive so far: the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Warsaw. 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 Warsaw.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Warsaw’s page.
Retake this view · +15The 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.
Between 1,658 and 5,423 people in every census since 1820.
21 censuses, 1820–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Warsaw’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
In 1804, according to Wikidata. Warsaw’s post office opened in 1811, and the census of 1820 counted 1,658 people here.
Warsaw is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #94 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.
6 listings: 1 historic district, the Warsaw Downtown Historic District,. 65 historic buildings in all.
49% of Warsaw’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±11.1 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1941.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (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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