Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 88% of U.S. towns · #182 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Its Register listing is the Covington Historic Government Building. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1870.
Covington dates its founding to 1816 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1870.
More historic than 88% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Covington is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #182 of 993 in Ohio. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings 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 Covington’s 3.9 sits near the middle of its state (60% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Covington’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.
1887Sheet 2 of 2Sanborn 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 Covington. 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 Covington.
From Wikipedia’s history of Covington.
Covington was laid out in 1816. Early variant names were Friendship, Newberry, and Stillwater. A post office called Stillwater was established in 1825, and the name was changed to Covington in 1836.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Covington, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The town of Covington, which is the principal municipality in Newberry Township, was laid out by David Wright and Jacob Uilery in 1816. Benjamin Cox surveyed the land for the town, but his work was never acknowledged by Uilery and AVright. There is a tradition that when the town came to be named, "Friendship"
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
erect a building ; a lot was purchased and the framework put together on the site early in the spring of 1838, only waiting for a proper foundation to be laid, whereon to rear the frame. The work was delayed, when, finally, the lot was leased by the school district, a schoolhouse was put up on it, the first in Covington, serving also the purpose of a meeting-house until 1844, and remained a schoolhouse until 1848.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The first schoolhouse stood near the north end of High Street in Covington. The second one was erected on the St. Mary's road. Andrew Ballard was one of the teachers in the latter structure. This house of learning was burned down. About 1818 John Barbour became the instructor of the
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 hereUriah Brown is born here
Born hereWilliam Insco Buchanan is born here
Born hereBertha Jaques is born here
In the archiveMap showing the military defences of Cincinnati, Covington and Newport
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyOne decade in the archive so far: the 1870s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
The 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.
Between 1,010 and 2,610 people in every census since 1870.
16 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Covington’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Covington’s post office has been open since 1836. Another post office, Stillwater, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1816, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Covington’s post office opened in 1825, and the census of 1870 counted 1,010 people here.
Covington is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #182 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.
One place: the Covington Historic Government Building (listed 1981).
41% of Covington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±11.0 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1948.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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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