Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers
How Conyngham Township began
When was Conyngham Township founded?
1921
Conyngham Township dates its founding to 1921 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1910.
First census: 406 in 19102020 census: 1,312105 years
How historic is Conyngham Township?
C+
More historic than 35% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1838.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Conyngham Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Conyngham Township is more historic than 35% 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 Conyngham Township’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 Conyngham Township’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.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1921.
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 (±7.1 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 Conyngham Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Conyngham Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1894Shickshinny 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 Conyngham Township.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds
Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Wapwallopen
1838–today
Pond Hill
1888–1925
Mocanaqua
1898–1964
18301930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
MocanaquaPond HillWapwallopen
4cemeteries and burying grounds inside Conyngham Township
AscensionOld River ChurchPond HillSaint Marys
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The first settler of Conyngham was George Drum (in the late 1700s) who served in the American Revolution and was elected justice of the peace in 1811. George Drum was an entrepreneurial businessman and was a large landowner who also owned the Drums Hotel, a shoe shop, tavern, and the Drums Post Office. He and his family developed the adjacent village of Drums, of which the village is named after the family, along with helping the development of Conyngham. Drums is a sister village to Conyngham. The George Drum residence remains standing in impeccable condition on Conyngham's Main Street.
Passages that mention Conyngham Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A history of Wilkes-Barré, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania1909 · page 112Read the page →
Read the text
Conyngham Township was not organized until 1875, t)ut its settlement dates back to 1795, when Martin Harter was attracted by riparian rights near the mouth of the Little Wapwallopen Creek. Soon after he had settled, other Germans came in from Northampton, among them James Santee, Philip Fenstermacher, John Andreas, Michael Weiss, John Fenstermacher, and Jeremiah Hess. James McNeil was also among the pioneer settlers. The first frame house was built by Martin Harter, in 1797. Upon his old homestead, George Fenstermacher erected, in 1836, the first stone house in the township. The
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
Conyngham Township, 1838 to 1964
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In 1921, according to Wikidata. Conyngham Township’s post office opened in 1838, and the census of 1910 counted 406 people here.
How does Conyngham Township rank for history?
Conyngham Township is more historic than 35% 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 Conyngham Township?
32% of Conyngham Township’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 1959.
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), Wikipedia, 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.
2025
2025
2025
2025
2025
2025
