From Bedminster Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers
How Bedminster Township began
When was Bedminster Township founded?
1851
The Bedminster Township post office opened in 1851, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Kellers Church (1877) and Ridge (1883), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
2020 census: 7,541175 years
How historic is Bedminster Township?
B
More historic than 58% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Bedminster Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Bedminster Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bedminster Township is more historic than 58% of U.S. towns, #618 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bedminster Township’s overall grade.
Pennsylvania towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Pennsylvania town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bedminster Township’s 2.7 sits near the middle of its state (60% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.0 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 Bedminster Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bedminster Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1890Doylestown 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 Bedminster Township.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Originally known as Bedminsterville, a post office was established on 7 April 1851, with Elias Ott as the first postmaster. In the days of mail coaches, Bedminster was visited three times a week from Doylestown. One of its earliest industries was chairmaking in the late 1800s by Reuben Stever. Established in 1834 by Abraham Freidlich, a major landmark in Bedminster has been the general store. Later, the store was managed by the Scheetz brothers. in 1855, Levi Michley took the store, followed by Peter O. Mickley, who left the business in 1860 when he became township assessor. Also in 1860, Isaac Fluck replaced it with a new and larger store. Levi C. Hafler became proprietor, becoming partners with J.H. Afflerbach until 1868, when Hafler retired. In 1870, the business was named J. H. Afflerbach & Co. when Abraham Keller entered into partnership with Afflerbach. Afflerbach retired in 1873,…
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 Bedminster Township post office opened in 1851, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Bedminster Township rank for history?
Bedminster Township is more historic than 58% of U.S. towns, #618 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. 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 Bedminster Township?
Two places: the Stover-Myers Mill (listed 1978) and the Loux Covered Bridge (1980).
How old are the homes in Bedminster Township?
19% of Bedminster Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.0 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1989.
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 (1), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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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