Willoughby dates to 1798, and 10% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 81% of U.S. towns · #286 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 66 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1840.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1835.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Willoughby’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Willoughby is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #286 of 993 in Ohio. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Willoughby’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 Willoughby’s 29.1 sits above most of its state (84% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 70 historic buildings outnumber those of 87% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1798.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share (±1.7 points) is firm at this size.
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 Willoughby’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Every building
Willoughby, building by building, 1887–1922
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1887Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
On the map
Willoughby on the map, 1905 to 1992
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Willoughby. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1905Mentor 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 Willoughby.
Willoughby's first permanent settler was David Abbott in 1798, who operated a gristmill. Abbott and his family were said to have had close relations with a band of Indians along the banks of the local river, which the Indians called the "Sha-ga-rin" meaning "Clear Water." This river was later called the Chagrin River, though the origin of the name remains in dispute.
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.
In 1798, according to Wikidata. Willoughby’s post office opened in 1835, and the census of 1840 counted 390 people here.
How does Willoughby rank for history?
Willoughby is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #286 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 Willoughby?
Three places: the Smart Building (listed 1983), the Downtown Willoughy Historic District (1995) and the Boyce, Julia F. Country Estate (2023).
How old are the homes in Willoughby?
10% of Willoughby’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.7 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1976.
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, 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 Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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