Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns · #148 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 22 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1830.
Chardon dates its founding to 1812 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1830.
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Chardon 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.
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 Chardon’s 43.8 sits above most of its state (87% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 23 historic buildings outnumber those of 80% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Chardon’s history is told.
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.
1884Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Chardon. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Chardon.
From Wikipedia’s history of Chardon.
Chardon is named after Peter Chardon Brooks, who donated land to build Chardon Square. Chardon Township celebrates its establishment in 1812, and thus the city of Chardon does the same. The city was incorporated as a village in 1851 and became a city in 2001 after its population passed 5,000 people in the 2000 United States census.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Chardon, cut from the printed page as they were published.
township of Chardon, that Gregory Jackson and John Cain, who have come to reside within the township of Chardon, and are likely to become chargeable to said township; we, therefore, command you forthwith to warn the said Jackson and Cain to depart the township aforesaid, and of this warrant make legal service and due return,” etc. Signed by Aaron Canfield and Lucius Smith, overseers of the poor.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
town railroad company was filed November 17, 1870, Joseph M. Hurlburt, William Markham, Samuel Moody, Homer H. Hine, Samuel Mathews, A. L. Tinker, Cornelius V. U. Kitridge, cofporators. The Painesville and Youngstown railroad company used the road bed of the the Painesville and Hudson road from Painesville to Chardon, and laid out a road from Chardon to Youngstown, through Claridon, east part of Burton, and through Middlefield, in this county. This road was opened to Chardon, and excursions to and from the above named places, July 3, 1872. First freight train forwarded July 5th, freight received, 6th; East Claridon. first freight received November 4, 1873, forwarded 6th; Burton, received December 17th, forwarded 27th; Middlefield, received April
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereHalbert E. Paine is born here
In the archiveGeauga County Fire of 1868
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born herePaul Dolan is born hereOne decade in the archive so far: the 1860s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Chardon’s page.
Retake this view · +15The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Grew from 381 people in 1830 to 5,242 in 2020, more than tenfold.
20 censuses, 1830–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Chardon’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Chardon’s post office has been open since 1814.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1812, according to Wikidata. Chardon’s post office opened in 1814, and the census of 1830 counted 381 people here.
Chardon 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.
Two places: the Chardon Courthouse Square District (listed 1974) and the Chardon Post Office Building (2008).
22% of Chardon’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.6 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1975.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (3), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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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