Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 97% of U.S. towns. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 150 buildings between them. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1912 on, and the census since 1850.
Gambier dates its founding to 1824 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1850.
More historic than 97% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Gambier is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age 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 Gambier’s 710 sits above most of its state (99% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 151 historic buildings outnumber those of 92% 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 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.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Gambier’s history is told.
Lost a third of its people between 1900 and 1920, then grew 5-fold.
18 censuses, 1850–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Gambier’s Wikipedia page.
From Wikipedia’s history of Gambier.
Gambier was laid out in 1824 and incorporated as a village in 1870. The village was named after one of Kenyon College's early benefactors, Lord Gambier.
In the 1960s, Japanese writer Junzo Shono spent several years in Gambier, culminating in the writing of the book A Sojourn in Gambier, which would prove to be quite popular in Japan.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Gambier, cut from the printed page as they were published.
depot to witness the departure of this, Knox county's first contribution to the great war. The students of Kenyon college, out of respect to their president, marched over from Gambier in a body to witness the departure. The crowd and excitem.ent at the depot was beyond description.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The reason of the sudden increase, as shown by the census of 1840, was the laying out and growth of Gambier, the site of Kenyon college, and the cause of the decrease, as shown by the census of 1850, was the setting off of Gambier into the new township of College.
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.
BuiltKenyon College is built
Born hereMiles Kendrick is born here
Born hereFrancis Key Brooke is born here
Born hereNovice Gail Fawcett is born here
In the archiveKenyon College
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyOne decade in the archive so far: the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
2024Kokosing Gap Trail 2
2024Kokosing Gap Trail 1
2024Gas station at Kenyon College
2022Gambier Post Office
2018"Old Kenyon," Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio (Date Unk…Postcard
2015Map of Knox County Ohio Highlighting Gambier VillageMap
2012The Kokosing House
2011C&O caboose 90776
2010Gaskin Avenue in
2004OHMap-doton-GambierEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Gambier. 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 Gambier.
Drag across each photo to compare.
1910TodayWriters, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Gambier’s post office has been open since 1826.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1824, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Gambier’s post office opened in 1826, and the census of 1850 counted 280 people here.
Gambier is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns. 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.
Three places: the Kenyon College (listed 1975), the Kokosing House (1985) and the Gambier Historic District (2000).
32% of Gambier’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±12.1 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1958.
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 (10), the Library of Congress (2), Wikidata (2), 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 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.
Date?