Bedford’s post office opened in 1824, and 22% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns · #148 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
7 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 31 buildings between them. Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1896 on, and the census since 1850.
Founding year: the first Bedford post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1837.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Bedford’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bedford is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #148 of 993 in Ohio. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bedford’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 Bedford’s 26.3 sits above most of its state (83% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 34 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.1 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1837 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
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 Bedford’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area that is now Bedford and northeastern Ohio was originally inhabited by Native Americans as early as 11,000 years ago. By 1662 the area was declared a part of the Connecticut Colony through royal charter. Much of the colony's land, which extended to the Pacific Ocean, was ceded to the early U.S. government, but a few million acres west of the border of Pennsylvania became what was known as the Western Reserve.
Passages that mention Bedford, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. With portraits and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers1879 · page 406Read the page →
Read the text
Bedford was incorporated according to the provisions of an act of the general assembly, passed March 15, 1837, which set forth "that so much of the township of Bedford, in the county of Cuyahoga, as herein described, viz. : The whole of lots forty-five, forty-six and fifty-six, and that part of lot fifty-five which lays northeast of Tinker's creek; also a strip thirty-two rods width off the south end of lot thirty-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio ..1879 · page 5Read the page →
Read the text
The first pioneers located in Orange in 1815 or '16, and an organization was effected in 1820. Solon was settled in the latter year. Bedford was settled in 1813, and Warrensville in 1810. Brecksville liad first been occupied in 1810 and Independence about the same time. Middlebnrg was also settled before the war. The pioneers of all these townships, as well as those pi-eviously settled in the county, were principal-
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
Bedford, 1824 to 2004
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.
The Bedford post office opened in 1824, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1837.
How does Bedford rank for history?
Bedford is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #148 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 Bedford?
7 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Bedford Township Hall (listed 1975, the first), 2 historic districts, the Bedford Historic District and the Villa San Bernardo Historic District, with 31 contributing buildings, and 1 structure. 34 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Bedford?
22% of Bedford’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.1 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1958.
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 (11), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (7), 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), 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.
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