Vermilion’s post office opened in 1811, and 15% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 88% of U.S. towns · #178 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
42 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 56 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1903 on, and the census since 1860.
The Vermilion post office opened in 1811, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1834. Three smaller post offices, Brownhelm (1819), Brownhelm Centre (1835) and Brownhelm Station (1878), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 801 in 18602020 census: 10,659215 years
How historic is Vermilion?
A
More historic than 88% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Vermilion post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1834.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Vermilion’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Vermilion is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #178 of 993 in Ohio. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Vermilion’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 Vermilion’s 95.7 sits above most of its state (93% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 99 historic buildings outnumber those of 89% 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 (±3.9 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1834 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 Vermilion’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Vermilion was initially settled in the early 19th century and incorporated as a village in 1837. The city took its name from the nearby Vermilion River. It developed as a fishing and small-boat harbor. In 1847, the Congress of the United States built the Vermilion Lighthouse to aid navigation on Lake Erie.
As commerce grew in larger nearby cities, the Vermilion River proved inadequate to large commercial traffic. Later, recreational boating became very popular. During the early 20th century, the area became known as a resort community, featuring many beaches and cottages. Most structures were eventually converted to year-round use; many still are used as summer homes or vacation houses. Linwood Park in Vermilion is a good example.
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 Vermilion post office opened in 1811, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1834.
How does Vermilion rank for history?
Vermilion is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #178 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 Vermilion?
42 listings: 41 buildings, among them the Vermilion Town Hall (listed 1974, the first), and 1 historic district, the Brownhelm Historic District, with 56 contributing buildings. 99 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Vermilion?
15% of Vermilion’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.9 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1967.
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 (42), 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) 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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