Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 98% of U.S. towns · #72 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
6 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 128 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1820.
Butler dates its founding to 1802 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1820.
More historic than 98% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Butler is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #72 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.
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 Butler’s 101 sits above most of its state (89% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 133 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
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.
1886Sheet 1 of 6Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From Wikipedia’s history of Butler.
Butler was named for Maj. Gen. Richard Butler, who fell at the Battle of the Wabash, also known as St. Clair's Defeat, in western Ohio in 1791.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Butler, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The charter was issued May 2, 1817, by Governor Snyder, and Butler laid aside its swaddling clothes as soon as a new outfit could be procured. The section of the act relating to the incorporation of Butler is given herewith : Section 16. And be it further enacted, etc., That the town of Butler in the comity "1 Butler, shall be and the same is hereby erected into a borough, which shall be called the "Borough of Butler," and contained within the following metes and bounds: The original plat or draft of the town of Butler, beginning at a black oak on the bank of the mill dam; thence north seventy-eight degrees west seven perches; thence south fifty-two
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Butler was incorporated as a borough* by an act entitled, " An act to erect the town of Milton, in the county of Northumberland and the town of Butler, in tho county of Butler, into boroughs," which was read February 0. 1817, and passed February 20. The charter was issued j\Iay 2, 1817, by Gov. Simon Snyder, and signed by Nathaniel B. Boileau, Seci-etary.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
On March 27, 1811, a call was laid on the table of Presbytery for Rev. James McConnell from the congregations of Butler and Deer Creek ; but for some reason the Butler branch of the charge did not prosecute this call, and it was returned to the congregations without being presented. At this meeting a paper was read '■ from the society of Butler praying for the dissolution of their connection with Deer Creek and the establishment of a connection with Slippery Rock." The Butler congregation with its new partner at once put forth an effort to obtain a pastoral settlement, and on April 10, 1811, a call was presented from Butler and
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
At the same sessions, j)etitions were pre.sented for roa<ls from Butler to the Venango County line, "at or near the house of Thomas Barren:" from Butler to the Venango County line in the direction of Franklin; from Butler to the falls of the Slippery Rock; from Butler to Matthew Whites ( Whitestown); from Butler to the Beaver County line, nearly all of which were acted upon and "Viewei's ;i))]ioiuted at the same or suc-
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania - Butler County - Butler - ED 10-6 -…
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born hereJoan Chandler is born here
Born hereBarbara Feldon is born here
Born hereBig John Studd is born here
Born hereBret Michaels is born hereOne decade in the archive so far: the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
18801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania …
18801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania …
18801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania …
18801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania …
18801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania …
18801950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania …Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Butler. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Butler.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Butler’s page.
Retake this view · +15Peaked at 24,477 in 1940; 13,502 people lived here in 2020.
21 censuses, 1820–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Butler’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1802, according to Wikidata. Butler’s post office opened in 1805, and the census of 1820 counted 225 people here.
Butler is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #72 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.
6 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Butler County Courthouse (listed 1977, the first), and 1 historic district, the Butler Historic District, with 128 contributing buildings. 133 historic buildings in all.
53% of Butler’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.4 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1938.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (6), 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.
