Massillon dates to 1812, and 33% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 95% of U.S. towns · #56 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
11 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 108 buildings between them. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1840.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1827.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Massillon’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Massillon is more historic than 95% of U.S. towns, #56 of 993 in Ohio. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Massillon’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 Massillon’s 37.4 sits above most of its state (86% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 121 historic buildings outnumber those of 90% 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 (±2.4 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1812.
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 Massillon’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The original settlement of Kendal was founded in 1812 by Thomas Rotch, a Quaker originally of New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Hartford, Connecticut. James Duncan of New Hampshire first settled in Kendal before recording the plot for Massillon on December 6, 1826. Duncan, known as the city's founder, named the town after Jean-Baptiste Massillon, a French Catholic bishop, at the request of his wife. The town plat was established along the east bank of the Tuscarawas River, which was the surveyed route for the Ohio and Erie Canal being constructed to connect Lake Erie with the Ohio River. The canal section spanning from Cleveland to Massillon was completed in 1828. Among the leading merchants were the Wellman brothers Hiram and Marshall. Marshall Wellman was the grandfather of the American author Jack London. Massillon quickly became a major port town along the canal route, known as the Po…
Passages that mention Massillon, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A standard history of Stark County, Ohio1916 · page 486Read the page →
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“The Massillon Bridge Co., was started in a small way, has been unusually profitable under the management of Massillon men and while, for a few years it formed a part of The Toledo-Massillon Bridge Co., with headquarters in Toledo, it has again come into the control of Massillon men under the name of The Massillon Bridge & Structural Co., with an exceedingly bright future in bridge and structural work.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio1881 · page 224Read the page →
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as the " Massillon & Cleveland Railroad,' deserves some mention in this connection, as a part of the Stark County system. The Massillon & Cleveland Railroad (commonly called the Massillon Branch) was built by the Massillon & Cleveland Railroad Company, and runs from Clinton, in Summit County, to Massillon, in this county, a distance of some eight or ten
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A standard history of Stark County, Ohio1916 · page 467Read the page →
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The Two Pioneer Hotels A few notable facts, however, should be stated before proceeding to the corporate history of Massillon, which begins with the year 1838. One of the first lots purchased after the Village of Massillon was platted was bought by Capt. Mayhew Folger, who completed his hotel and opened it to the public in February, 1828. Jacob Miller probably commenced his tavern later, but opened for business before the captain, in the fall of 1827. Landlord Miller afterward became Judge Miller. Captain
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History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio1881 · page 410Read the page →
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congregation, except at Pigeon Run, ttiose [ within tlie bounds of tlie cliarge remaining < there. In 1873. the congregation was transj ferred to Massillon, the church building in 1 Massillon was erected, and since which Massillon has been a station. The first preacher at the station was Rev. Elias Lower, now in Michi- !
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
Massillon, 1812 to 1986
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 Massillon. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1901Massillon 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 Massillon.
Every building
Massillon, building by building, 1887–1927
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.
In 1812, according to Wikidata. Massillon’s post office opened in 1827, and the census of 1840 counted 1,422 people here.
How does Massillon rank for history?
Massillon is more historic than 95% of U.S. towns, #56 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 Massillon?
11 listings: 9 buildings, among them the Spring Hill (listed 1972, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Fourth Street Historic District and the Massillon Downtown Historic District, with 108 contributing buildings. 121 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Massillon?
33% of Massillon’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.4 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1957.
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 the Library of Congress (3), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (11), 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, 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.
1906
1906
