On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Amherst Township is more historic than 57% of U.S. towns, #567 of 993 in Ohio. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Amherst Township’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 Amherst Township’s 1.5 sits near the middle of its state (51% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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 (±3.7 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 Amherst Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Amherst Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1901Oberlin 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 Amherst Township.
By decade
Amherst Township, decade by decade
3 decades in the archive, from the 1890s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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 original village, which eventually became known as Amherst, was established/founded by pioneer settler Jacob Shupe (who came to this area in 1811; however, what would become the specific “downtown” area was settled by Josiah Harris in 1818), although the original tiny village was first known only as "Amherst Corners" in the early-1830s. When the village-plat was officially recorded in 1836, it was simply named the "town plat of Amherst", but became "Amherstville" circa-1839, and was later changed to "North Amherst", until finally again simply 'Amherst' in 1909. (The original 1820s postal-name of the village's first post-office was "Plato"; and the village's post-office retained that postal-name into the 1840s, even after the local-government name of the village officially became 'Amherstville' by 1840.)
Passages that mention Amherst Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A standard history of Lorain county, Ohio1916Read the page →
Read the text
Village Founded Early in the history of Amherst Township, the nucleus for a village was formed upon the north ridge, about a mile northwest of the center of the township. This settlement, — the embryo Village of North Amherst,— was known for many years as "the corner." Judge Josiah Harris had quite a tract of land here, and he laid out a i)ortion of it in lots, and founded the Village of Amlierstville. Through the decades, lieginning with the years 1830, 1840 and 1850, the growtii of the village was
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A standard history of Lorain county, Ohio1916Read the page →
Read the text
Early Settlers op Amherst Township Jacob Shupe, already mentioned, is entitled to the post of honor as the pioneer settler of what is now Amherst Township. He came into Black River in 1810 and early in the following year moved over the line into Amhei'st and settled upon Beaver Creek. Within a short time he erected both saw and grist mills, and several years afterward the first whiskey distillery in the township. He spent his money to the limit in various primitive improvements, and it was while making an extension
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
Amherst Township, 1891 to 1910
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Amherst Township is more historic than 57% of U.S. towns, #567 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 Amherst Township?
One place: the South Ridge Schoolhouse (listed 1985).
How old are the homes in Amherst Township?
14% of Amherst Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.7 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1976.
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 (17), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the USGS Geographic Names Information System 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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