Burlington’s post office opened in 1818, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 66% of U.S. towns · #474 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Most of Burlington was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. Below: maps from 1903 on and the census since 2000.
Founding year: the first Burlington post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Burlington’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Burlington is more historic than 66% of U.S. towns, #474 of 993 in Ohio. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Burlington’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 Burlington’s 10.7 sits above most of its state (75% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 3 listings 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 (±4.5 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 Burlington’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Beginning in 1817, Burlington was the first and previous county seat of Lawrence County, and its post office the only one in the county until 1821. The town was named after Burlington, Vermont.
The Burlington 37 Cemetery, the William C. Johnston House and General Store, and the Old Lawrence County Jail, all located in Burlington, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is the nearby Macedonia Church.
The Burlington post office opened in 1818, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Burlington rank for history?
Burlington is more historic than 66% of U.S. towns, #474 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.
How old are the homes in Burlington?
5% of Burlington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.5 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1975.
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), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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