Symmes Township dates to 1822, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 49% of U.S. towns · #674 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Most of Symmes Township was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. Below: maps from 1904 on and the census since 1850.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1855.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Symmes Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Symmes Township is more historic than 49% of U.S. towns, #674 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 Symmes Township’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 Symmes Township’s 1.3 sits near the middle of its state (50% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 2 historic buildings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1822.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share (±0.8 points) is firm at this size.
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 →
What stands out about Symmes Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Symmes Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1904Mason sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Symmes Township.
Symmes Township is located in what was originally the Symmes Purchase. The township was incorporated by an act of the General Assembly on January 19, 1822. However, its year of establishment is usually given as 1824, as seen in the township's previous logo. In 1853, the Little Miami Railroad was completed, connecting the township to Cincinnati. Symmes Township survived a 1994 attempt to merge with Loveland, as well as efforts the following year to incorporate most of Symmes and Deerfield Townships as the City of Heritage.
Named for John Cleves Symmes, it is one of two Symmes Townships statewide; the other Symmes Township is located in Lawrence County.
In 1822, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Symmes Township’s post office opened in 1855, and the census of 1850 counted 1,115 people here.
How does Symmes Township rank for history?
Symmes Township is more historic than 49% of U.S. towns, #674 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 Symmes Township?
One place: the Waldschmidt-Camp Dennison District (listed 1973).
How old are the homes in Symmes Township?
2% of Symmes Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1987.
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 (5), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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