On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Moreland Hills is more historic than 53% of U.S. towns, #621 of 993 in Ohio. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Moreland Hills’ 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 Moreland Hills’ 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.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1815.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.4 points).
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 Moreland Hills’ 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 Moreland Hills. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1906Chagrin Falls 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 Moreland Hills.
Timeline
Moreland Hills, 1815 to 1906
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In 1815, settlement began near the point where State Route 87 crosses the Chagrin River. Orange Township was established in 1820 and became known for its steam sawmills, cheese factories and farms. The village, which in 1831 was still part of Orange Township, was the birthplace of James A. Garfield, the 20th President of the United States. In 1897, the Cleveland-Chagrin Falls Railway spurred residential development in the area as it served as a commuter line to employment opportunities in Cleveland.
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.
In 1815, according to Wikidata. the census of 1930 counted 114 people here.
How does Moreland Hills rank for history?
Moreland Hills is more historic than 53% of U.S. towns, #621 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 Moreland Hills?
13% of Moreland Hills’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.4 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1960.
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), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.
2025
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