Sheffield dates to 1817, and 4 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 67% of U.S. towns · #450 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Most of Sheffield was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1996. Below: maps from 1901 on and the census since 1940.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Sheffield is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #450 of 993 in Ohio. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Sheffield’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 Sheffield’s 11.4 sits above most of its state (76% 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 is a Census survey estimate (±3.0 points). Two sources give 1817.
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 →
What stands out about Sheffield’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Sheffield yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Sheffield is a village in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, along the Black River. The population was 4,135 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cleveland metropolitan area.
Sheffield was established in 1817. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 3,982 to 4,135 (+4%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Sheffield, 1876–1879
Passages that mention Sheffield, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Lorain County, Ohio1879 · page 253Read the page →
Read the text
ORGANIZATION.* "From the organization of the county of Huron until the organization of Lorain, Sheffield owed a divided allegiance. Originally Dover embraced Avon, and all of Sheffield and Black River east of the river.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The early history of Lorain County. An address1876 · page 20Read the page →
Read the text
From the organization of the county of Huron, until the organization of Lorain, Sheffield owed a divided allegiance. Originally, Dover embraced Avon, and all of Sheffield and Black River east of the river. At a later day, Avon, and the same parts of Sheffield and Black River, that formerly belonged
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Lorain County Ohio with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pionners1879 · page 253Read the page →
Read the text
Sheffield, west of Black mver, was attached to the township of Black River, as it existed before its territory was reduced to its present limits: This part of Sheffield was then in Huron county. The township was then known as number seven, in range seventeen.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In the year 1818 lie moved into the township of Sheffield, Lorain Co., Ohio, taking up one hundred and forty acres of land upon which nri improvements had l)een made. His energy and strict integrity gained him many friends at that early day. At an early date he built the mills at Sheffield, which, having changed ownership many times, yet retain his name.
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.
In 1817, according to Wikidata. Sheffield’s post office opened in 1824, and the census of 1940 counted 733 people here.
How does Sheffield rank for history?
Sheffield is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #450 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 Sheffield?
4 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Jabez and Robbins Burrell House and Cheese Factory (listed 1976, the first). 5 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Sheffield?
5% of Sheffield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.0 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1996.
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 (4), 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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