The Norwood post office opened in 1870, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1888. Another post office, Sharpsburgh (1867), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 6,480 in 19002020 census: 19,043156 years
How historic is Norwood?
A−
More historic than 77% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Norwood post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1888.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Norwood’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Norwood is more historic than 77% of U.S. towns, #351 of 993 in Ohio. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Norwood’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 Norwood’s 2.6 sits near the middle of its state (55% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 5 historic buildings outnumber those of 70% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share (±2.7 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1888 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
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 →
What stands out about Norwood’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The earliest humans in the area now known as Norwood are believed to have been Pre-Columbian era people of the Adena culture. Norwood Mound, a prehistoric earthwork mound built by the Adena, is located in Norwood and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Adena constructed the mound at the location of Norwood's present-day Water Tower Park, which is the highest land elevation in the city. Archaeologists believe the mound was built at this site due to the high elevation and was used by the Adena for religious ceremonies and smoke signaling.
Passages that mention Norwood, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Hamilton County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches1881 · page 275Read the page →
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SHARPSBURGH was formerly the raine of a pretty large locality, now covered in good part by the village of Norwood. A town site, bearing the name, was laid out in 1868, on the Cincinnati and Marietta railroad, by J. W. Baker.
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Norwood [O.] her homes and her people. Pleasant places in the gem of the highlands. A historical sketch of the liveliest member of Cincinnati's suburban family1894 · page 54Read the page →
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in triumphant tones, "and do \ez promise to serve the village of Norwood, as policemen, as you would afore God? " The newly pledged officers swimg their clubs all that day, hut the shell workers changetl their route and did not go
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Norwood [O.] her homes and her people. Pleasant places in the gem of the highlands. A historical sketch of the liveliest member of Cincinnati's suburban family1894Read the page →
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The largest residence in Norwood, commonly known as the "Capitol" of Norwood, belonging to Dr. A, Springer, was built from the designs of A. O. ELZNER, Architect, 227 Main Street, Cincinnati. Mr. Elzner also has built many other fine residences, besides public buildings such as the Neave Building, the Cincinnati Club, Yononte Inn, etc.
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History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio1894 · page 393Read the page →
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Oakley is midway between Norwood and Madison ville, five miles from the city by turnpike and eleven by rail. In 1846, Anthony Brown bought fifty acres of ground from Benjamin Hey, embracing that part of the village site adjacent to the railroad station. In 1866 he sold thirty-four acres of this tract to Paul Shuster, by whom it was platted and sold, and from him it received its name. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the place is the driving park of the Queen City Jockey Club. The only industry of importance is the planing mill of Raupe & Son, which employs 100 men. There is one church, Protestant Episcopal. An electric railway has been
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.
Timeline
Norwood, 1867 to 1950
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Norwood post office opened in 1870, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1888.
How does Norwood rank for history?
Norwood is more historic than 77% of U.S. towns, #351 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 Norwood?
Three places: the Cincinnati Street Gas Lamps (listed 1978), the Norwood Municipal Building (1980) and the United States Playing Card Company Complex (2015).
How old are the homes in Norwood?
67% of Norwood’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.7 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1938.
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 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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