Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 67% of U.S. towns · #453 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Below: maps from 1907 on and old-book passages.
Harmony Township dates its founding to 1832 (Wikipedia’s history). Its post office opened in 1835.
More historic than 67% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Harmony Township is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #453 of 993 in Ohio. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
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 Harmony Township’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% 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.
Five other post offices 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).
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Harmony Township’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Harmony Township. 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 Harmony Township.
From Wikipedia’s history of Harmony Township.
Harmony was platted in 1832, and named after Harmony Township, in which it is located. A post office called Harmony was established in 1851, and discontinued in 1879.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Harmony Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
This village was laid out by David Ripley and Marvin Gager in 1835. It is located in the northeastern part of Harmony Township, about twelve and a half miles east of Springfield, and on the National road. The first house was built on the northeast corner, by John Buckland, and was by him occupied as a hotel for some years. In the same year, Joseph Robinson built a steam sawmill just east of the village. This was the first steam mill built in the township. Gager and Aplin built a frame house on the southeast corner, and opened a store of general merchandise.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Plattsburg is on the Columbus & Springfield Railroad, and near the center of Harmony Township. Itis nine miles west of London, and eleven miles east of Springfield. The village was laid out on the 30th day of September, 1852, by William Osborn and Amaziah Judy; John B. Fish, surveyor. It comprises thirty lots; lots numbered from 1 to 16 were laid out by Mr. Osborn, and Lots 17 to 30 by Mr. Judy.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Humphrey and Demint came up Buck Creek and founded Springfield. In 1800 John Judy, a native of Switzerland, settled in Harmony Township. He came to Kentucky and afterward, in 1794, to Greene County, and in his next move settled about two miles east of the present site of Plattsburg. In 1802 Joseph Cof-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Lisbon is situated near the south line of Harmony Township on the road leading from South Charleston to Spring-field and is about ten and one-half miles from Springfield and two miles from South Charleston. It is one of the oldest villages in the county, having been platted in 1815 by Ebenezer Pattoch and James
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.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nobody well known was born in Harmony Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1832, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Harmony Township’s post office opened in 1835.
Harmony Township is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #453 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.
27% of Harmony Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.2 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1970.
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 Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
