Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
New Lebanon dates its founding to 1843 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.
More historic than 53% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, New Lebanon is more historic than 53% of U.S. towns, #617 of 993 in Ohio. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
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 New Lebanon’s 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.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 New Lebanon’s history is told.
New Lebanon’s post office has been open since 1849. Three other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of New Lebanon. 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 Lebanon.
From Wikipedia’s history of New Lebanon.
New Lebanon was platted in 1843. A post office called Medill was established in 1847, and the name was changed to New Lebanon in 1849. New Lebanon was incorporated as a village in 1878, though its village charter didn't go into effect until January 1, 1979, officially establishing it as a municipality.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention New Lebanon, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The smaller part of the town of New Lebanon is in Perry township. The town was incorporated in 1878. A part of the town of Johnsville is also in Perry township.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Pyrmont was surveyed by William G. George; and the twenty-one lots were platted by Daniel Mundhenk, proprietor, May 25, 1835 New Lebanon was platted with ten lots, by Jacob Grice, June 3, 1848; and on the same day, John Brange made an addition of nine lots to the village plat.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
as to have been built on land adjoining Mr. Shank’s farm, the logs were mled and the house partly built when some dissatisfied neighbors objected, id had it moved up the creek. A schoolhouse was built in Section 36, about' quarter of a mile east of New Lebanon. Jacob Diehl went to school there early as about 1823. Teachers, Robert Scatton, John H. Holsmiller (a (reran). These subscription schools continued regardless of the various school ws enacted in the State from time to time, nor did they disappear until the w law became a fixed fact, the township districted and houses put up by the
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyBetween 76 and 4,501 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on New Lebanon’s Wikipedia page.
In 1843, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. New Lebanon’s post office opened in 1832, and the census of 1880 counted 76 people here.
New Lebanon is more historic than 53% of U.S. towns, #617 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.
14% of New Lebanon’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 1967.
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), 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 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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