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History · Claysville

Claysville dates to 1812, and 73% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1896 on and the census since 1850.

1812founded

0on the National Register

73%homes built before 1940

6famous people

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Photo: Nyttend · Public domain

Quick answers

How Claysville began

When was Claysville founded?

1812

Claysville dates its founding to 1812 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1850.

First census: 275 in 18502020 census: 733214 years

Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1818.The full story ↓

What stands out about Claysville’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 Claysville are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Claysville’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 1,045 in 1910; 718 people lived here in 2020.Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1896 to 1927, drew every building in Claysville.

★ What stands out · Help out

Start Claysville’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos

00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.

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The story

How Claysville came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Claysville.

Read it all →

The Montgomery House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

People over time

Claysville, census by census

Peaked at 1,045 in 1910; 718 people lived here in 2020.

18 censuses, 1850–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Claysville’s Wikipedia page.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Claysville, 1871–1882

Passages that mention Claysville, cut from the printed page as they were published.

' The town of West Alexander, which had been laid out by Robert Humphreys in 1700, was re-laid out (or added to) by Charles Do Uass iu the same year in which Claysville was platted (1817). And De Ilass in this reviving or relaying out of his town changed the name from the original " West Alexander"… — **History of Washington County, Pennsylvania**1882 · page 754Read the page →
Read the text
' The town of West Alexander, which had been laid out by Robert Humphreys in 1700, was re-laid out (or added to) by Charles Do Uass iu the same year in which Claysville was platted (1817). And De Ilass in this reviving or relaying out of his town changed the name from the original " West Alexander" to " Alexandria."
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

**History of Washington County**1871 · page 103Read the page →
Read the text
The town of Claysville is in Donegal township, and was erected into a borough the second day of April, 1832, and the lots sold on the 8th of May following. Each lot is fifty by two hundred feet deep, with suitable and convenient streets and alleys to each block.
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

Claysville, 1800 to 1910

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

19th century
1800Born hereWilliam Holmes McGuffey is born here
1812
FoundingClaysville is established
1818Post officeThe Claysville post office opens
1824Born hereBenjamin Franklin Jones is born here
1828Born hereAlexander Kerr Craig is born here
20th century
1907On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
1910CensusPopulation peaks at 1,045

By decade

Claysville, decade by decade

On the map

Claysville on the map, 1907 to 1998

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Claysville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

1907Claysville 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 Claysville.

Every building

Claysville, building by building, 1896–1927

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.

Claysville fire insurance map, 1896, sheet 1

1896Sheet 1 of 2

Edition

Sheets

+1 more at the Library of Congress

BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Famous people

6 famous people were born in Claysville

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →

Alexander Kerr CraigPolitician · b. 1828

William Holmes McGuffeyAmerican educator · b. 1800

Benjamin Franklin JonesAmerican businessman · b. 1824

Justin M. SeamanAmerican film director

Malcolm ParcellAmerican artist · b. 1896

William D. InglisAmerican football player/coach and physician · b. 1874

Questions about Claysville’s history

What year was Claysville founded?

In 1812, according to Wikidata. Claysville’s post office opened in 1818, and the census of 1850 counted 275 people here.

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 (27), Wikidata (2), 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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