On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Dunthorpe is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Dunthorpe’s overall grade.
Oregon towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Oregon town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Dunthorpe’s 101 sits above most of its state (95% of Oregon towns have fewer) while its 19 historic buildings outnumber those of 79% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.7 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Dunthorpe’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In January 1916, William M. Ladd's Ladd Estate Company purchased 215 acres (0.87 km2) from the soon to be dissolved Oregon Iron & Steel Company for $1. The company drafted very specific provisions for the Dunthorpe development, including: Only residential buildings were allowed, except for outbuildings to house domestic animals; Swine and goats were prohibited; The minimum cost of a house was $3000; No residence could be used or occupied by "persons of African or Mongolian descent" unless they were employed as servants of the masters; and the sale of "intoxicating liquor" was also prohibited.
Dunthorpe is more historic than 96% 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.
What is on the National Register in Dunthorpe?
14 listings: 13 buildings, among them the Dr. A. E. and Phila Jane Rockey House (listed 1985, the first), and 1 site. 19 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Dunthorpe?
28% of Dunthorpe’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.7 points), against a typical 5.3% for an Oregon town; the median home was built in 1953.
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 the National Register of Historic Places (14), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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.
