Lakewood’s post office opened in 1888, and 60% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns · #149 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
14 places in town are on the National Register, among them four historic districts with 613 buildings between them. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1902 on, and the census since 1900.
The Lakewood post office opened in 1888, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1889. Two smaller post offices, East Rockport (1852) and Clifton Park (1898), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 3,355 in 19002020 census: 50,942138 years
How historic is Lakewood?
A
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Lakewood post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1889.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Lakewood’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lakewood is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #149 of 993 in Ohio. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lakewood’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 Lakewood’s 125 sits above most of its state (94% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 623 historic buildings outnumber those of 98% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A+. The pre-1940 share (±1.4 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1889 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Lakewood’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area now called Lakewood was populated by the Ottawa, Potawatomi, Chippewa, Wyandot, Munsee, Delaware and Shawnee tribes until the Treaty of Ft. Industry pushed them west in 1805. Prior to the treaty, American settlers were prohibited from moving west of the Cuyahoga River. The treaty ceded 500,000 acres of some of the tribes' land to the United States for about $18,000 or 3.5 cents/acre. The Shawnee and Seneca, living with the Wyandot, were to get $1000 "...every year forever hereafter."
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.
The Lakewood post office opened in 1888, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1889.
How does Lakewood rank for history?
Lakewood is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #149 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 Lakewood?
14 listings: 9 buildings, 4 historic districts with 613 contributing buildings, and 1 structure. 623 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Lakewood?
60% of Lakewood’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.4 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1938.
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 (14), 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) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1909
1911
1912
