Wolcott dates to 1807, and 34% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns · #350 of 758 in New York. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 3 buildings. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1820.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1816.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Wolcott’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Wolcott is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #350 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 National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Wolcott’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 Wolcott’s 7.6 sits near the middle of its state (42% of New York towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.5 points). Two sources give 1807.
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 Wolcott’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first white colonist settlement began around 1807. Native Americans settled the land many years before.
The Town of Wolcott was formed 1807 from the Town of Junius in Seneca County, New York before the creation of Wayne County, but the town was not completely organized until 1810. The land on which the town was formed on was previously inhabited by Cayuga and Onondaga Native Americans, who were exiled for siding with the British by Revolutionary War troops led by General Anthony Wayne and subsequently displaced by white European colonists, but who have been free to return for well over a century.
The town was later reduced in size by the formation of new towns in the county: Butler, Huron, and Rose, all in 1826.
Passages that mention Wolcott, cut from the printed page as they were published.
"Grip's" historical souvenir of Wolcott, N.Y1905 · page 15Read the page →
Read the text
Earliest School?- The first Schoolhouse in the town of Wolcott was a log structure built in 1810, in Wolcott village, on the site of Dr. Watkins' residence. In 1812 District No. 1 was erected and a log schoolhouse was consti'ucted by Jonathan Melvin, sr., near the Knapp foundry. The first trustees in this district were Osgood Church, Lambert Woodruff and Eliakum
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
"Grip's" historical souvenir of Wolcott, N.Y1905 · page 60Read the page →
Read the text
cott June 10, 1853. Daniel Robertson, his grandfather, a native of Scotland and a branch of one of the old Scottish families, was an early settler in Wolcott and it was he who cleared the land now known as the homestead, five miles east of Wolcott village which is still in the family. Daniel also developed the iron ore bed known as the Devoe, which supplied ore for the old furnace.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
European and American family of Wolcott1912 · page 24Read the page →
Read the text
Those now in most ancient, direct, absolutely British and American Wolcott lineage, through the elder sons and daughters of Judge Frederick Wolcott, by his first wife, Betsey Huntington Wolcott, naming here, chiefly, those living when the error was made, some now succeeding, by their respective family heads, are: Joshua Huntington Wolcott, Esq., the eldest son, and his younger son (who survived Huntington Frothingham Wolcott) , Governor Roger Wolcott,
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
Wolcott, 1807 to 2000
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.
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.
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Wolcott’s post office has been open since 1816. Another post office, North Wolcott, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Wolcott
1816–today
Red Creek
1821–today
North Wolcott
1874–1908
18101920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Desbrough ParkFurnace VillageHickory SquareNorth WolcottRed Creek
Gone or out of use
First Methodist Episcopal ChurchchurchLeavenworth Central SchoolschoolSaint Mary Magdeline Roman Catholic ChurchchurchSchool Number 12schoolSchool Number 13schoolSchool Number 2schoolSchool Number 4schoolSchool Number 7schoolSchool Number 8schoolWolcott Hospitalhospital
In 1807, according to Wikidata. Wolcott’s post office opened in 1816, and the census of 1820 counted 2,867 people here.
How does Wolcott rank for history?
Wolcott is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #350 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 Wolcott?
One place: the Wolcott Square Historic District (listed 2001).
How old are the homes in Wolcott?
34% of Wolcott’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.5 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1955.
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, 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, 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.
1874
2009
2007
2007
