Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 93% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Its Register listings are the George B. Unger House, the Lange Hotel and the West Alexandria Depot. Its Register listings are the George B. Unger House, the Lange Hotel and the West Alexandria Depot. Below: maps from 1961 on and the census since 1870.
The West Alexandria post office opened in 1828, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, New Lexington (1816), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
More historic than 93% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, West Alexandria is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
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 West Alexandria’s 22.4 sits above most of its state (82% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
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 →
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 West Alexandria’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of West Alexandria.
West Alexandria was laid out in 1818. The community derives its name from one of its founders, William Alexander. A post office has been in operation at West Alexandria since 1828.
Three buildings in the village have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the George B. Unger House, the Lange Hotel, and the West Alexandria Depot.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Passages that mention West Alexandria, cut from the printed page as they were published.
was without a postoffice until February 19, 1889, when one was established under the name of Twin, the mail being carried by the Cincinnati, Jackson & Mackinaw railroad, but on May 14, 1906, the office was discontinued and its patrons served from West Alexandria, through the rural free delivery system established by the United States government some years prior. Taverns were kept by John Hawkins and Nathaniel Benjamin. The Hawkins house was the first, but there are no public documents showing how long this inn was open to the public. Mr. Benjamin's hostelry was run by
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
West Alexandria wag laid out in August, 1818. Forty lots comprised the original town plat, twenty on the Twin side being laid out by Henry Keisling, and twenty on the Lanier side by William Alexander, for whom the town was named. Keisling was one of the earliest settlers of Twin township, having located just north of where the village now stands, on the farm now owned by George Sauer, as early as 1804. He died in 1835 and is buried
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
West Alexandria was laid out in August, 1818. Forty lots comprised the original town plat, twenty on the Lanier side being laid out by William Alexander, for whom the town was named, and twenty on the Twin side by Henry Keisling, one of Twin township’s earliest settlers, who never became extensively identified with the town, but Mr. Alexander, who did, has always been regarded as its founder and will be the subject of a brief sketch here.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
government, and here the father and grandfather of Mrs. Singer lived and died, the former having been a resident of the town of West Alexandria for three years. After his marriage our subject continued to reside in Harrison township for one year, after which he rented a farm in Twin township for a year, then removing to the home
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of West Alexandria. 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 West Alexandria.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Between 455 and 1,553 people in every census since 1870.
16 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on West Alexandria’s Wikipedia page.
West Alexandria’s post office has been open since 1828. Another post office, New Lexington, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The West Alexandria post office opened in 1828, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
West Alexandria is more historic than 93% 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.
Three places: the George B. Unger House (listed 1978), the Lange Hotel (1991) and the West Alexandria Depot (2006).
38% of West Alexandria’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.0 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1951.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, 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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