Georgetown dates to 1819, and 17% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 89% of U.S. towns · #167 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
5 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Ulysses S. Grant Boyhood Home, a National Historic Landmark, and a historic district with 42 buildings. 5 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Ulysses S. Grant Boyhood Home, a National Historic Landmark, and a historic district with 42 buildings. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1850.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1821.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Georgetown’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Georgetown is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns, #167 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.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Georgetown’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 Georgetown’s 121 sits above most of its state (94% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 47 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.5 points). Two sources give 1819.
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 Georgetown’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Georgetown was platted in 1819. The village took its name from Georgetown, Kentucky. A post office called Georgetown has been in operation since 1821. Places in Georgetown on the National Register of Historic Places include the Bailey–Thompson House, Dr. Philip Buckner House and Barn, Georgetown Historic District and contributing Brown County Courthouse, Georgetown Public School, and the Grant Boyhood Home.
Passages that mention Georgetown, cut from the printed page as they were published.
the history of brown county ohio1883 · page 294Read the page →
Read the text
the crossing of White Oak Creek has delayed the completion of.the road to Georgetown. l The Georgetown & Sardinia Railroad dates from May 9, 1879, when the Legislature passed an act authorizing the village of Georgetown, after an affirmative vote of its electors, to construct a railroad. The people of Georgetown having given their approval, bon!s for the construction of the road to the amount of about $17,000 were issued by the municipal authorities. Three Trustees having charge of the construction were appointed by the Court of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the history of brown county ohio1883 · page 384Read the page →
Read the text
What is known as Straight Creek Methodist Church, several miles south of Georgetown, was organized by Rev. Henry Miller, during his two years’ pastorate at Georgetown, from 1876 to 1878. Rev. Edward McHugh succeeded him for two years, and the two years’ period of labor of Rev. Jonathan Verity has just closed. Services are held in the old Presbyterian Church. Warren C. Rees was the first Class-Leader, succeeded by Joseph Foor. The present membership is forty-two. A flourishing Sabbath school is maintained. The society is a branch of the Georgetown Church, and has services each alternate
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.
Timeline
Georgetown, 1819 to 1985
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Georgetown. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1931Higginsport sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Georgetown.
Every building
Georgetown, building by building, 1885–1922
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.
1885Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewLittle schoolhouse at Georgetown, Ohio, which Ulysses S. Grant attended, 1900
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Georgetown’s page.
In 1819, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Georgetown’s post office opened in 1821, and the census of 1850 counted 618 people here.
How does Georgetown rank for history?
Georgetown is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns, #167 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 Georgetown?
5 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Ulysses S. Grant Boyhood Home (a National Historic Landmark since 1985), and 1 historic district, the Georgetown Historic District, with 42 contributing buildings. 47 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Georgetown?
17% of Georgetown’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.5 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1971.
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 (17), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (5), Wikipedia, 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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