Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Its Register listing is the John Hosford House. Below: old-book passages.
The Monroeville post office opened in 1824, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 90% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Monroeville is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
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 Monroeville’s 6.1 sits above most of its state (67% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Monroeville’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Monroeville.
Monroeville was originally called Monroe, and under the latter name was laid out in 1817. The village was named after James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States. Its name was later changed to its current form by postal authorities. Monroeville was incorporated as a village in 1868.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereCharles William Harkness is born here
Born hereLogan Stieber is born herePassages that mention Monroeville, cut from the printed page as they were published.
L. O. Simmons has kindly given permission for it to be used in this work: What is now the beautiful and enterprising village of Monroeville, was an unimproved waste, inhabited only by the wild beasts of the forests and wandering bands of red men. Lordly trees stood upon the sites of residences of today, and there was nothing here, рег se, to create or sustain a town. The Huron river rippled onward then as now, but no village was reflected in its clear transparent waters. But a change was fast approaching. Change, which is as inevitable as time itself, goes hand in hand with civilization, and is the constant com-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
crowned his efforts as an agriculturist is but the merited reward of untiring industry, indefatigable energy and capable management. Resourceful and enterprising, he has also extended his efforts into other lines of activity and is a stockholder of the Farmers & Citizens Bank of Monroeville, Ohio, likewise serving as a member of its board of directors and finance board. Не is the president of the Heyman Milling Company of Monroeville and one of the directors and vice-president of the Sherman Oil & Gas Company of this county. The latter concern was organized in June, 1908, with a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars and
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
crowned his efforts as an agriculturist is but the merited reward of untiring industry, indefatigable energy and capable management. Resourceful and enterprising, he has also extended his efforts into other lines of activity and is a stockholder of the Farmers & Citizens Bank of Monroeville, Ohio, likewise serving as a member of its board of directors and finance board. He is the president of the Heyman Milling Company of Monroeville and one of the directors and vice-president of the Sherman Oil & Gas Company of this county. The latter concern was organized in June, 1908, with a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars and
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.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
The Monroeville post office opened in 1824, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Monroeville is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns. 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.
One place: the John Hosford House (listed 1974).
55% of Monroeville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.6 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1938.
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 Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
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