Chalfont dates to 1683, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 89% of U.S. towns · #200 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Most of Chalfont was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1973. 1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 121 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 1880.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1843.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Chalfont’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Chalfont is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns, #200 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Chalfont’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 Chalfont’s 278 sits above most of its state (92% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 121 historic buildings outnumber those of 90% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1683.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.5 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 Chalfont’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In 1720, Simon Butler bought over 150 acres of land, including the "Village of Chalfont." After the construction of his home and mill, Butler bought more than 400 more acres of land. Butler was a giant historical figure who acted as a legal and economic powerhouse in the area. After his death, the land was parceled to a number of people. Between then and 1901 Chalfont held several names, including Butler's Mill, Kungle's Tavern, Barndtsville, and Whitehallville. For many years, the most important building in the area was the tavern and public house, which has burnt down many times and now stands as Leonardo's Pizza. During the Victorian era in 1855, a train station was built along the newly constructed Doylestown Branch of the North Penn Railroad which helped the community grow and brought about the construction of the many Victorian-style houses.
Passages that mention Chalfont, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Bucks County, Pennsylvania1876 · page 395Read the page →
Read the text
sequently changed into a dwelling. The post-office at New Britain, the oldest in the township, was established in 1829, the commission of the first postmaster, Isaac W. James, bearing date December 28th. Chalfont, named after Chalfont St. Giles, a parish of Bucks, England, in wdiose Fiiends' burying-ground William Penn lies buried, is situated at the forks of Neshaminy, formed by the main stream and the north branch. Its earliest village name was Barndtville, then Whitehallville, but when the railroad station, and subse-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time1905Read the page →
Read the text
continuing until the year 1900, when Austin E. retired from active duties although retaining his interest in the farm, and changed his place of residence to Chalfont, where he has since resided. In that year he was one of the organizers of the borough of Chalfont, and was appointed its first burgess.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time1905Read the page →
Read the text
of his birthplace. He acquired a knowledge of plumbing, heating and ventilation with David E. Hebner, of Chalfont, and after the expiration of his time he worked for five years as journeyman at Line Lexington. In 1887 he purchased the store of William Bruner, at Chalfont, .where he now conducts an
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
Chalfont, 1683 to 1992
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 1683, according to Wikidata. Chalfont’s post office opened in 1843, and the census of 1880 counted 216 people here.
How does Chalfont rank for history?
Chalfont is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns, #200 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 Chalfont?
One place: the Chalfont Historic District (listed 2006).
How old are the homes in Chalfont?
8% of Chalfont’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.5 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1973.
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 (3), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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 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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