Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 73% of U.S. towns · #393 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Most of Oxford was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. 12 places in town are on the National Register, among them 2 National Historic Landmarks and a historic district with 18 buildings. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1820.
Oxford dates its founding to 1809 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1820.
More historic than 73% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Oxford is more historic than 73% of U.S. towns, #393 of 993 in Ohio. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls 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 Oxford’s 14.7 sits above most of its state (78% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 32 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.
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 →
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 Oxford’s history is told.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. 2 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier.
★ Landmark
★ Landmark
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
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.
1887Sheet 1 of 2Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From Wikipedia’s history of Oxford.
Oxford lies within the Congress Lands West of Miami River. In 1803, the United States Congress granted one township to the Ohio General Assembly in the region to build a college. The Ohio Legislature selected a township off Four Mile Creek, the College Township, and chartered Miami University in 1809.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Oxford, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Oxford township was originally a part of St. Clair, but with the organization of Milford in 1805 the territory now comprising Oxford was included in that township.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The members of the agricultural society were undecided at first just where to hold the fair. When the project was first proposed the members from Oxford and neighboring townships being in control were inclined to select Oxford as the proper location for holding the fair. It was argued, however, that Hamilton being the county
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.
Born hereCaroline Harrison is born hereBuiltWestern Female Seminary is built
Born hereEarle Foxe is born here
In the archiveNorthwest entrance to Miami University campus ca. 1900
Born hereJohn O'Brien is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born hereR. J. Hunter is born hereOne decade in the archive so far: the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Oxford. 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 Oxford.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Oxford’s page.
Retake this view · +15Grew from 258 people in 1820 to 23,035 in 2020, more than tenfold.
20 censuses, 1820–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Oxford’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Oxford’s post office has been open since 1817.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1809, according to Wikidata. Oxford’s post office opened in 1817, and the census of 1820 counted 258 people here.
Oxford is more historic than 73% of U.S. towns, #393 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.
12 listings, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks: 11 buildings, among them the William H. McGuffey House (a National Historic Landmark since 1965), and 1 historic district, the Western Female Seminary, with 18 contributing buildings. 32 historic buildings in all.
7% of Oxford’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.8 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1987.
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 (4), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (12), 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
c. 1900
c. 1900
1907
