Nelsonville dates to 1814, and 44% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 98% of U.S. towns · #12 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 346 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1830.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1821.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Nelsonville’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Nelsonville is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #12 of 993 in Ohio. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Nelsonville’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 Nelsonville’s 813 sits above most of its state (99% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 348 historic buildings outnumber those of 96% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1814.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.2 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 Nelsonville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
People over time
Nelsonville, census by census
Peaked at 6,440 in 1920; 4,612 people lived here in 2020.
18 censuses, 1830–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Nelsonville’s Wikipedia page.
Every building
Nelsonville, building by building, 1887–1914
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.
First settled in 1814 by Daniel Nelson, Nelsonville was incorporated in 1838 with Charles Cable as its first mayor. Nelsonville blossomed into a classic Appalachian town by the mid-19th century, relying on the extractive industries of coal, clay and salt. Like many large mining towns, Nelsonville was home to a large hotel, The Dew House, and a thriving theater, Stuart's Opera House, both located on the Public Square.
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 1814, according to Wikidata. Nelsonville’s post office opened in 1821, and the census of 1830 counted 73 people here.
How does Nelsonville rank for history?
Nelsonville is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #12 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 Nelsonville?
Three places: the Dew House (listed 1978), the Stuart's Opera House (1978) and the Nelsonville Historic District (1996).
How old are the homes in Nelsonville?
44% of Nelsonville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.2 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1952.
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 (3), 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 and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1850
1850
1947
