3 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Carnegie Free Library Of Braddock, a National Historic Landmark. Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1878.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Braddock’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Braddock is more historic than 98% 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.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Braddock’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 Braddock’s 14.7 sits above most of its state (80% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1742.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±12.9 points).
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 Braddock’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
Braddock is named for General Edward Braddock (1695–1755), commander of American colonial forces at the start of the French and Indian War. The Braddock Expedition to capture Fort Duquesne (modern day Pittsburgh) from the French led to the British general's own fatal wounding and a sound defeat of his troops after crossing the Monongahela River on July 9, 1755. This battle, now called the Battle of the Monongahela, was a key event at the beginning of the French and Indian War.
The area surrounding Braddock's Field was originally inhabited by the Lenape, ruled by Queen Alliquippa.
Passages that mention Braddock, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Allegheny county, Pennsylvania1889 · page 393Read the page →
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The Church at Braddock. — As early as 1840 a few Disciples residing in Braddock held occasional meetings in the schoolhouse. About this time a meeting was held in a grove near by, at which Alexander Campbell did the preaching.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Allegheny county, Pennsylvania1889 · page 391Read the page →
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The Church ut Braddock. — As early as 1840 a few Disciples residing in Braddock held occasional meetings in the schoolhouse. About this time a meeting was held in a grove near by, at which Alexander Campbell did the preaching.
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The history of an expedition against Fort Du Quesne, in 1755 [microform]1856 · page 211Read the page →
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were matters on a better footing in higher quarters. Disputes and jealousies were rife among the leaders; and by this time the General was not even on speaking terms with Halket and Dunbar. Braddock had already, however, conceived a plan to benefit such of the officers as he looked upon with favoring eyes. It was his intention, when Du Quesne should have been captured, to incorporate the provincials into a royal regiment, the command of which was
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The history of an expedition against Fort Du Quesne, in 1755 [microform]1856 · page 407Read the page →
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“THE Government continued to maintain the Indians that lived at my house till the Spring, when General Braddock arrived. They then desired Governor Morris to let me know thet they would not maintain them any longer, at which time Governor Morris desired me to take them at Fort Cumberland to meet General Braddock, which I did. On my arrival at Fort Cumberland, General Braddock asked me where the rest of y* Indians were? I told him I did not know: I had brought with me about 50 men which was all which was at that time under my care and which I had
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.
Timeline
Braddock, 1742 to 2012
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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 1742, according to Wikidata. Braddock’s post office opened in 1878, and the census of 1870 counted 1,290 people here.
How does Braddock rank for history?
Braddock is more historic than 98% 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 Braddock?
Three places: the Carnegie Free Library Of Braddock (listed 1973), the First United Presbyterian Church of Braddock (2019) and the Ohringer Building (2020).
How old are the homes in Braddock?
63% of Braddock’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±12.9 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1938.
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 (7), the Library of Congress (4), Wikidata (1), 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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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c. 1907
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