Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Avella

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
History · Avella

Avella’s post office opened in 1887, and 54% of its homes were built before 1940

1887first post office
0on the National Register
54%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Textah01 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answers

How Avella began

When was Avella founded?

1887

The Avella post office opened in 1887, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 782139 years
Founding year: the first Avella post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Avella’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Avella are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Avella’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Avella’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Avella’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Avella came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Avella.

Read it all →

The ancient history of the area includes some of North America's earliest inhabitants. The Meadowcroft Rockshelter is a prehistoric shelter found below a rock outcropping that is believed to have provided shelter for a succession of early foragers as far back as 16,000 years and possibly as far back as 19,000 years ago, although the dates are controversial. The area also was the site of Eastern Woodland Indians communities some 400 years ago. Today a National Historic Landmark includes a historic interactive display that provides a view of life for early Woodland Indians, as well as 19th Century rural American life.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Avella, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Avella, Pennsylvania2012Avella, PennsylvaniaAvella, Pennsylvania2012Avella, PennsylvaniaAvella, Pennsylvania2012Avella, Pennsylvania1930s Era School Avella PA 11 199520121930s Era School Avella PA 11 1995MeadowcroftRockshelter2010MeadowcroftRockshelterAvella Area Elementary School2007Avella Area Elementary School
Famous people

Famous people close to Avella

Nobody well known was born in Avella itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Glenn DavisAmerican track athlete and football player · b. 1934
E
Elva LawtonAmerican botanist and bryologist · b. 1896
Isaac H. DuvalUnion Army general, politician · b. 1824
John D. FredericksAmerican politician · b. 1869
A
Anthony di BonaventuraMusic professor · b. 1929
J
Joe FortunatoAmerican football player · b. 1930
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Independence Township2 historic placesACross Creek Township1 historic placeB

Questions about Avella’s history

What year was Avella founded?

The Avella post office opened in 1887, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6) and Wikipedia. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.