Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1797.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Connellsville’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Connellsville is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns, #131 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 National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Connellsville’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 Connellsville’s 8.8 sits above most of its state (75% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 6 listings outnumber those of 72% of U.S. towns.
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 (±7.1 points). Two sources give 1793.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Connellsville’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.
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
On the map
Connellsville on the map, 1902 to 1973
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Connellsville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1902Connellsville 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 Connellsville.
People over time
Connellsville, census by census
Peaked at 13,804 in 1920; 7,031 people lived here in 2020.
17 censuses, 1860–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Connellsville’s Wikipedia page.
During the French and Indian War, a British army commanded by General Edward Braddock approached Fort Duquesne and crossed the Youghiogheny River at Stewart's Crossing, which is situated in the middle of what is now the city of Connellsville.
Connellsville was officially founded as a township in 1793 then as a borough on March 1, 1806, by Zachariah Connell, a militia captain during the American Revolution. In February 1909, balloting in New Haven and Connellsville resulted in these two boroughs joining and becoming the first city in Fayette County on May 12, 1911.
Passages that mention Connellsville, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Centennial history of the borough of Connellsville, Pennsylvania, 1806-19061906 · page 229Read the page →
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an important factor in the extension of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad from Connellsville to Cumberland and aided in quite a measure the building of the South West Pennsylvania railroad from Greensburg to Connellsville and Uniontown. The promotion of these enterprises has been of untold benefit and immeasureable value to the commercial life of Connellsville.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania1882 · page 275Read the page →
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On the same day on which this repeal was passed, the General Assembly also passed an act incorporating the " Connellsville and Southern Pennsylvania Railway Company," with power and authority " to construct a railroad from Connellsville to the Maryland State line, at such point and by such route as to the directors may seem advisable, and to connect the same with any road or roads authorized by the State of Mary-
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History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania1882 · page 403Read the page →
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The old " Rogers Papcr-Mill," the earliest manufacturing establishment within the territory now comprised in the township of Connellsville, was erected in 1810 by Daniel and Joseph Rogers, of Connellsville, and Zadoc Walker, of Uniontown. Its location was on the right bank of the Youghiogheny River, a short distance above the present village and railroad station of Gibsonville. The " Pittsburgh Almanac"
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Centennial history of the borough of Connellsville, Pennsylvania, 1806-19061906 · page 537Read the page →
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On the first day of March, 1806, the General Assembly of Pennsylvania passed an act which provided and declared that the town of Connellsville and vicinity in Fayette county shall be and the same is hereby erected into a borough which shall be called the ‘‘Borough of Connellsville.” We have met here to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the day, a day that marked an event which in a large measure affected the development of the natural resources of our country, determined its
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
Connellsville, 1793 to 1925
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 1793, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Connellsville’s post office opened in 1797, and the census of 1860 counted 996 people here.
How does Connellsville rank for history?
Connellsville is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns, #131 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 Connellsville?
6 listings: 6 buildings, among them the Carnegie Free Library (listed 1981, the first).
How old are the homes in Connellsville?
49% of Connellsville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.1 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1942.
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 (5), the Library of Congress (1), 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.
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