Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Most of New Haven was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. Below: maps from 1955 on and old-book passages.
The New Haven post office opened in 1824, the earliest record of the town by name.
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 New Haven’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of New Haven.
New Haven was platted as a village by Joab Comstock in 1815. In the 19th century, the village had a post office, but was known as "Preston". This was necessary because there was already a New Haven in Huron County, Ohio, and the name was assigned by the first postmaster, Alexander Preston Cavender.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention New Haven, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The village of New Haven was founded by Joab Comstock and Charles Cone, under whose auspices the plat was surveyed in 1815 by Joseph Sater, assisted by the two proprietors. It was so named by Comstock, a native of New Haven, Connecticut. The State road from Hamilton through Venice to Lawrenceburg passes through the village, which is also the terminus of the road leading to Cincinnati through New Baltimore. These considerations, as well as the natural eligibility of the location, doubtless determined its selection as a town site. The first frame house was built in 1826 and the first brick house in 1832. Among the first resi-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Dr. Gwaltney was in his day, and for many years, a prominent physician in Anderson and Colerain townships, in Crosby township from 1825 to 1844, and Fayette county, Indiana, from 1844 to the fall of 1849, when he moved back to the village of New Haven, Crosby township, where he spent the remainder of his days, being at the time of his death by far the oldest physician in this region. It was at his house, in July, 1863, during the passage of John Morgan's rebel force through New Haven, that Morgan and Colonel Basil Duke held a council in
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.
Weddings 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 New Haven. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of New Haven.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The New Haven post office opened in 1824, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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.
