Canfield dates to 1798, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 57% of U.S. towns · #572 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Judge Eben Newton House, the Old Mahoning County Courthouse and the Charles Ruggles House. Most of Canfield was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1978. Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1908 on, and the census since 1850.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1801.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Canfield’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Canfield is more historic than 57% of U.S. towns, #572 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 Canfield’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 Canfield’s 3.9 sits near the middle of its state (61% 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 C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share (±1.7 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1798.
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 Canfield’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Canfield Township was established in 1798 as township number 1 in range 3 by purchase from the Connecticut Land Company in the Connecticut Western Reserve. It was purchased by six men, although the majority was owned by Judson Canfield, a land agent. The township took his name in 1800.
Canfield's first settlers arrived shortly after surveying was initiated in 1798, primarily from Connecticut, although waves of German immigrants around 1805 and Irish around 1852 would occur. Goods were transported initially by horse and wagon about 55 miles (91 km) from Pittsburgh; later, the Beaver Canal served as the primary method for commerce. By 1805, Canfield had approximately 17 homes, a store and a school; it became a trade center for the region.
Passages that mention Canfield, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Twentieth century history of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio1907 · page 279Read the page →
Read the text
Mahoning county was organized in 1846, with Canfield as the county seat. In the act of incorporation it was stipulated that "the court of common pleas and supreme court of said county shall Ije holder) at some convenient house in the town of Canfield until suitable county buildings shall be erected." The trustees of the Methcxlist Episcopal church tend-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Twentieth century history of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio1907 · page 301Read the page →
Read the text
ty, and served one term. In 1861 he was elected justice of the peace, and for several years also was mayor of the village of Canfield. He was in partnership in Canfield for some time with John M. Edwards, in the law Digitized by Google
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.
By decade
Canfield, decade by decade
2 decades in the archive, from the 1910s to the 1940s. 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.
In 1798, according to Wikidata. Canfield’s post office opened in 1801, and the census of 1850 counted 527 people here.
How does Canfield rank for history?
Canfield is more historic than 57% of U.S. towns, #572 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 Canfield?
Three places: the Judge Eben Newton House (listed 1974), the Old Mahoning County Courthouse (1974) and the Charles Ruggles House (1975).
How old are the homes in Canfield?
3% of Canfield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.7 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1978.
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 (2), the Library of Congress (9), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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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