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CHistory
History · Conway

Conway dates to 1902, and 29% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 33% of U.S. towns. What drives it

Below: 9 old photos and papers, maps from 1906 on, and the census since 1910.

1902founded
0on the National Register
29%homes built before 1940
9old photos & papers
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Conway’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Conway began

When was Conway founded?

1902

Conway dates its founding to 1902 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1910.

First census: 1,483 in 19102020 census: 2,168124 years

How historic is Conway?

C

More historic than 33% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1903.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Conway’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Conway is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Conway’s overall grade.
Founding era1902, from Wikidata: founded 1900–1944, an older era than 9% of U.S. townsDHomes built before 194028.6% of homes (±6.2) · typical PA town 17.7% · U.S. 8.4%A−National RegisterNo listings counted · typical PA town 2.1 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 33%
NewerOlder

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 Conway’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (25% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.2 points). Two sources give 1902.

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 Conway’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

On the map since 19065 editions of the USGS map, 1906 to 1990. Watch Conway change.Old housesHalf of Conway’s homes were built before 1960.
★ What stands out · On the map

Conway on the map, 1906 to 1990

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

Conway on the 1906 USGS mapConway on the 1953 USGS mapConway on the 1969 USGS mapConway on the 1979 USGS mapConway on the 1990 USGS map1906Sewickley 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 Conway.

The story

How Conway came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Conway.

Read it all →

The area that would become Conway was first settled by former American Revolutionary War General John McKee, an Irish immigrant, around 1800 through an 800-acre grant of New Sewickley Township. The area had formerly been known as Crow's Run Valley by several tribes of Native Americans because of the abundance of crows that nested in the Hemlock trees of the region. McKee's land extended in to the forest about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Ohio River.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Conway, 1902 to 1960

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

  1. 20th century
  2. 1902
    FoundingConway is established
  3. 1903Post officeThe Conway post office opens
  4. 1906On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 1940In the archiveThe town of Conway, Pennsylvania
  6. 1960Born hereJim Covert is born here
By decade

Conway, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1940s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1940s9 items
The town of Conway, Pennsylvania1940The town of Conway, PennsylvaniaRailroad workers. Conway, Pennsylvania1941Railroad workers. Conway, PennsylvaniaRailroad yards. Conway, Pennsylvania1941Railroad yards. Conway, PennsylvaniaFreight yards. Conway, Pennsylvania1941Freight yards. Conway, PennsylvaniaRailroad workers waiting for bus. Conway, Pennsylvania1941Railroad workers waiting for bus. Conway, PennsylvaniaUntitled photo, possibly related to: Railroad yards. Conway, Pennsylvania1941Untitled photo, possibly related to: Railroad yards. …Change of shift for freight yard workers. Conway, Pennsylvania1941Change of shift for freight yard workers. Conway, Pen…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Railroad workers. Conway, Pennsylvania1941Untitled photo, possibly related to: Railroad workers…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Railroad workers waiting for bus. Conway, Pennsylvania1941Untitled photo, possibly related to: Railroad workers…
1950s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Today4 recent
Second north of Twelfth2014Second north of TwelfthConway post office 150272014Conway post office 15027Conway UPCNA2014Conway UPCNAConway Borough municipal building2014Conway Borough municipal building
Every building

Conway, building by building, 1916

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 sheet.

Conway fire insurance map, 1916, sheet 11916Sheet 1 of 2
BrickWoodStone

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

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

The town of Conway, Pennsylvania
Retake this viewThe town of Conway, Pennsylvania, 1940

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Conway’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Conway, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,000192019401960198020002020Peak: 2,822

Between 1,483 and 2,822 people in every census since 1910.

12 censuses, 1910–2020.

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

Help out

Finish Conway’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewThe town of Conway, Pennsylvania: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

EconomyIts storyB−Freedom1 historic placeACenter TownshipIts storyDNew Sewickley TownshipIts storyC

Questions about Conway’s history

What year was Conway founded?

In 1902, according to Wikidata. Conway’s post office opened in 1903, and the census of 1910 counted 1,483 people here.

How does Conway rank for history?

Conway is more historic than 33% 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.

How old are the homes in Conway?

29% of Conway’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.2 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1960.

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).

From Wikimedia Commons (4), the Library of Congress (9), 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 Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.