Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1870.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Coplay’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Coplay is more historic than 87% of U.S. towns, #225 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 Coplay’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 Coplay’s 2.9 sits near the middle of its state (61% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1799.
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 (±10.0 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 Coplay’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Coplay was part of the 400 acres (1.6 km2) of land John Jacob Schreiber bought from the William Penn's heirs in 1740. It was initially known as Schreibers and later was known as the Lehigh Valley, because of Lehigh Valley Iron Furnaces were located here. Lehigh Valley was then changed to Coplay, derived from "Kolapechka", the son of the Indian chief Paxanosa, who lived at the head of the creek near Schnecksville. Coplay seceded from Whitehall Township in 1869 and was incorporated as a borough on April 7, 1869.
Passages that mention Coplay, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A history of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, from the earliest settlements to the present time, including much valuable information for the use of schools, families, libraries1902 · page 43Read the page →
Read the text
store, hotel and post office. Population in 1900 was 120. Unionville, founded in 1S15, contains a store, hotel and post office. Population in 1900 was 200. Ironton, founded in i860, is situated in a rich mining district and is connected with Coplay by the Ironton R. R. and contains a store, hotel and post office. Population in T900 was 300. RuchsviUe, founded in 1800, contains a store, hotel and post office. Population in 1900 was 1 12. Siegersville. founded in 1750 contains a store, hotel and post office, is simated in a rich mining district. Population in 1900 was 125. Schnecksville. founded in 1845, contains a .store, two hotels and post office.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, from the earliest settlements to the present time, including much valuable information for the use of schools, families, libraries1902 · page 43Read the page →
Read the text
store, hotel and post office. Population in 1900 was 120. Unionville, founded in 1815, contains a store, hotel and post office. Population in 1900 was 200. Iionton. founded in i860, is situated in a rich mining district and is connected with Coplay by the Ironton R. R. and contains a store, hotel and post office. Population in 1900 was 300. Ruchsville, founded in 1800, contains a store, hotel and post office. Population in 1900 was 112. Siegersville, founded in 1750 contains a store, hotel and post office, is situated in a rich mining district. Population in 1900 was 125. Schnecksville, founded in 1845, contains a store, two hotels and post office.
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.
In 1799, according to Wikidata. Coplay’s post office opened in 1870, and the census of 1870 counted 728 people here.
How does Coplay rank for history?
Coplay is more historic than 87% of U.S. towns, #225 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 Coplay?
One place: the Coplay Cement Company Kilns (listed 1980).
How old are the homes in Coplay?
37% of Coplay’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±10.0 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1956.
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 (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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