On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Gilead Township is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #121 of 993 in Ohio. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Gilead Township’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 Gilead Township’s 15.1 sits above most of its state (79% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 9 historic buildings outnumber those of 75% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.0 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Gilead Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Gilead Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1913Mount Gilead 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 Gilead Township.
On the National Register
4 historic places in Gilead Township
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
9
each building in a district counts
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
The story so far
Gilead Township, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Gilead Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Gilead Township is one of the sixteen townships of Morrow County, Ohio, United States. The 2020 census found 5,942 people lived in the township; 3,503 lived in the village of Mount Gilead and 422 lived in the village of Edison.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 6,112 to 5,942 (-3%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Gilead Township in 1880
Passages that mention Gilead Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Morrow County and Ohio1880 · page 203Read the page →
Read the text
drew its pioneers from Peru Township and the Middle States principally, though the older counties of Ohio contributed no small share to building up the community. Gilead Township drew its settlement from Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and the older settled parts of Ohio, the first settlement being made in 1817. A year later, the first settler, Benjamin Sharrock, came to Washington Town-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Morrow County and Ohio1880 · page 203Read the page →
Read the text
drew its pioneers from Peru Township and the Middle States principally, though the older counties of Ohio contributed no small share to building up the community. Gilead Township drew its settlement from Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and the older settled parts of Ohio, the first settlement being made in 1817. A year later, the first settler, Benjamin Sharrock, came to Washington Town-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Morrow County and Ohio1880 · page 445Read the page →
Read the text
school, of which John Critchfield is Superintendent, in connection with this church. Although originally in Congress Township, yet since the addition to Gilead Township of a section or two from the southwest corner of Congress, the church is just across the line in Gilead Township.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Morrow County and Ohio1880 · page 445Read the page →
Read the text
school, of which John Critchfield is Superintendent, in connection with this church. Although originally in Congress Township, yet since the addition to Gilead Township of a section or two from the southwest corner of Congress, the church is just across the line in Gilead Township.
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.
Gilead Township is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #121 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.
How old are the homes in Gilead Township?
28% of Gilead Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.0 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1968.
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), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
2022
2022
2022
2022
2015
2005