1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 50 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers from 1859 on and old-book passages.
The Pomeroy post office opened in 1840, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Nyesville (1827) and Beech Grove (1861), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
2020 census: 1,573186 years
How historic is Pomeroy?
A+
More historic than 98% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Pomeroy post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Pomeroy’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Pomeroy is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Pomeroy’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 Pomeroy’s 319 sits above most of its state (97% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 50 historic buildings outnumber those of 85% of U.S. towns.
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 (±10.0 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 Pomeroy’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Pomeroy was founded in 1804 and named for landowner Samuel Pomeroy. The village was incorporated in 1840, and designated county seat in 1841.
The earliest history of Pomeroy begins with the arrival of Samuel Ervin at what is now Kerr’s Run in 1806. Coal mining was begun in 1819. In 1821 Josiah Dill opened a tavern there and Nial Nye in 1826 operated a tavern, mill and wharf-boat. In 1827 a town was laid out and named Nyesville.
Passages that mention Pomeroy, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Pomeroy. Romance and history of Eltweed Pomeroy's ancestors in Normandy and England1909 · page 71Read the page →
Read the text
"In the visitation of Devon, page 107, under the Ford family, the pedigree begins with Thomas Pomeroy, father of Sir Edward Pomeroy of Berry Pomeroy, Knight, and of John Pomeroy; the latter had a son St. Cleer Pomeroy (named after the great Sinclair family of England and Normandy, known as St. Clere, in Dorset)." Into this Pomeroy family married the Fords of Ashburton, Dorset, in several different instances. From this Ford family no doubt
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Pomeroy. Romance and history of Eltweed Pomeroy's ancestors in Normandy and England1909 · page 74Read the page →
Read the text
devised premises in Saltash to Arthur Pomeroy, gent., on Dec. 1, 1605 ; that Athur Pomeroy died ten years ago without issue. Alleges that said premises ought to descend to Valentyne Pomeroy as cousin and heir of said Arthur Pomeroy, i. e., as son and heir of Thomas Pomeroy, Esq., deceased, the brother and next heir to said Arthur."
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
Pomeroy, 1827 to 1906
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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.
The Pomeroy post office opened in 1840, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Pomeroy rank for history?
Pomeroy is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns. 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 Pomeroy?
One place: the Pomeroy Historic District (listed 1978).
How old are the homes in Pomeroy?
51% of Pomeroy’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±10.0 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 (1), 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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1909