On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Amberley is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #454 of 993 in Ohio. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Amberley’s overall grade.
Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Amberley’s 7.8 sits above most of its state (71% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.8 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Amberley’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area that became Amberley was originally part of Columbia Township and remained largely rural into the early 20th century, containing farms and country estates.
Evidence of much earlier human activity in the area includes the Benham Mound, a prehistoric earthwork attributed to people of the Hopewell tradition. The mound was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
European-American settlement began near the end of the 18th century. James Baxter purchased approximately 320 acres (1.3 km2) in the area in 1797 and constructed the original portion of the James Baxter House in 1807. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
Amberley is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #454 of 993 in Ohio. 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 Amberley?
Two places: the Gerald B. and Beverley Tonkens House (listed 1991) and the James Baxter House (1994).
How old are the homes in Amberley?
12% of Amberley’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.8 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1959.
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), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.
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