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B+History
History · Crafton

Crafton dates to 1872, and 51% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 72% of U.S. towns · #448 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it

Its Register listing is the Campbell Building. Below: maps from 1902 on and the census since 1900.

1872founded
1on the National Register
51%homes built before 1940
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Crafton began

When was Crafton founded?

1872

Crafton dates its founding to 1872 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 1,927 in 19002020 census: 6,099154 years

How historic is Crafton?

B+

More historic than 72% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1857.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Crafton’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Crafton is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns, #448 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Crafton’s overall grade.
Founding era1872, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194050.5% of homes (±5.9) · typical PA town 17.7% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register1 listing, 1.7 per 10,000 residents · typical PA town 2.1 · U.S. 2.4B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 72%
NewerOlder
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,035)Ahead of 57%

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 Crafton’s 1.7 sits near the middle of its state (55% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.9 points). Two sources give 1872.

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 Crafton’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 Crafton are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Lost villages3 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Crafton, and 1 old place names are still on the map.Old housesHalf of Crafton’s homes were built before 1938.Boom and bustPeaked at 8,418 in 1960; 6,099 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Crafton’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Crafton had its own post office from 1881 to 1907. Three other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Brodhead
1857–1881
Crafton
1881–1907
Idlewood
1882–1907
Cranston
1891–1892
18501940today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Idlewood
1cemetery inside Crafton
Saint Phillips Roman Catholic Church

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How Crafton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Crafton.

Read it all →

Prior to European colonial usurpation, the area was inhabited and controlled by the Seneca Indians. It is believed the legendary chief of the Seneca, Cornplanter, called the area Killemun. But even before the Seneca came, the Crafton/Ingram area was inhabited. In her 1993 historical account, local historian and Crafton-native, Betsy Martin, writes that, “Burial mounds from a much earlier pre-Columbian Adena Culture were found farther down the [Chartiers] creek toward the ‘Rocks’ in the vicinity of the Fall Hole.” It is likely Martin is referring to a mound site near the junction of the Creek with the Ohio River, a site which underwent excavations in 1896 by the Carnegie Museum. The excavation unearthed at least 33 burials, all “Early Woodland Adena in affiliation.” The Indians who built the mounds are believed to be Algonquin. While there is no way of knowing exactly which mounds Martin…

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Crafton in 1889

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

Brodhead post office was established in 1857 ; the name was changed to Crafton in 1881. It has been applied to the railroad station since 1873. St. Philip’s Roman Catholic Church, Crafton, is the oldest in Chartiers township. It is so named in honor of Philip Smith, of Philadelphia, by whom the sit…
History of Allegheny county, Pennsylvania1889 · page 61Read the page →
Read the text

Brodhead post office was established in 1857 ; the name was changed to Crafton in 1881. It has been applied to the railroad station since 1873. St. Philip’s Roman Catholic Church, Crafton, is the oldest in Chartiers township. It is so named in honor of Philip Smith, of Philadelphia, by whom the site was donated. The church is a brick building, forty feet long and twenty-five feet wide, and was dedicated by Bishop Kenrick July 25, 1839.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Brodhead post ofl&ce was established in 1857; the name was changed to Crafton in 1881. It has been applied to the railroad station since 1873. St. Philip's Roman Catholic Church, Crafton, is the oldest in Chartiers township. It is so named in honor of Philip Smith, of Philadelphia, by whom the site…
History of Allegheny county, Pennsylvania1889 · page 61Read the page →
Read the text

Brodhead post ofl&ce was established in 1857; the name was changed to Crafton in 1881. It has been applied to the railroad station since 1873. St. Philip's Roman Catholic Church, Crafton, is the oldest in Chartiers township. It is so named in honor of Philip Smith, of Philadelphia, by whom the site was donated. The church is a brick building, forty feet long and twenty-five feet wide, and was dedicated by Bishop Kenrick July 25, 1839.

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

Crafton, 1857 to 1960

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1857Post officeThe Brodhead post office opens
  3. 1872
    FoundingCrafton is established
  4. 1881Post officeThe Brodhead post office closes
  5. 1881Post officeThe Crafton post office opens
  6. 1882Post officeThe Idlewood post office opens
  7. 20th century
  8. 1904On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1907Post officeThe Crafton post office closes
  10. 1907Post officeThe Idlewood post office closes
  11. 1909Born herePaul Shannon is born here
  12. 1917Born hereJohn Earl Henderson is born here
  13. 1923Born hereDon Schneider is born here
  14. 1957Born hereBill Cowher is born here
  15. 1960CensusPopulation peaks at 8,418
By decade

Crafton, decade by decade

Today18 recent
91–97 Bradford Avenue, Crafton, 2025-10-29-2202591–97 Bradford Avenue, Crafton, 2025-10-29-291–97 Bradford Avenue, Crafton, 2025-10-29-1202591–97 Bradford Avenue, Crafton, 2025-10-29-111–13 Haldane Street, Crafton, 2025-10-29202511–13 Haldane Street, Crafton, 2025-10-2926 Belvidere Street, Crafton, 2024-12-08202426 Belvidere Street, Crafton, 2024-12-0826 Belvidere Street, Crafton, 2024-12-08-1202426 Belvidere Street, Crafton, 2024-12-08-118 Belvidere Street, Crafton, 2024-12-08202418 Belvidere Street, Crafton, 2024-12-0818 Belvidere Street, Crafton, 2024-12-08-2202418 Belvidere Street, Crafton, 2024-12-08-218 Belvidere Street, Crafton, 2024-12-08-1202418 Belvidere Street, Crafton, 2024-12-08-114 Belvidere Street, Crafton, 2024-12-08202414 Belvidere Street, Crafton, 2024-12-08Crafton marker 22020Crafton marker 2Crafton marker 12020Crafton marker 1Crafton marker 1 (cropped)2020Crafton marker 1 (cropped)Crafton Fire Detp2011Crafton Fire DetpGeorgeLeberHouse2010GeorgeLeberHouseEpiscopalChurchoftheNativityCrafton2010EpiscopalChurchoftheNativityCraftonCreightonAvenue2010CreightonAvenueCraftonPA2009CraftonPAMap of Allegheny County PA Highlighting2007Map of Allegheny County PA HighlightingMap
On the map

Crafton on the map, 1904 to 1993

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

Crafton on the 1904 USGS mapCrafton on the 1948 USGS mapCrafton on the 1951 USGS mapCrafton on the 1960 USGS mapCrafton on the 1979 USGS mapCrafton on the 1993 USGS map1904Carnegie 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 Crafton.

Every building

Crafton, building by building, 1902

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.

Crafton fire insurance map, 1902, sheet 11902Sheet 1 of 3
BrickWoodStone

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

On the National Register

1 historic place in Crafton

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1988
Campbell Building
Campbell Building
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Colonial Revival1
Campbell BuildingColonial Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Crafton, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 8,418

Peaked at 8,418 in 1960; 6,099 people lived here in 2020.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

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

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Crafton

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

See all →
Bill CowherAmerican football player, coach, and analyst · b. 1957
John Earl HendersonAmerican politician · b. 1917
Paul ShannonPittsburgh radio and television presenter · b. 1909
D
Don SchneiderAmerican football player · b. 1923
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Pittsburgh189 historic placesA+Thornburg1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townIngramIts storyA−Rosslyn FarmsIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Crafton’s history

What year was Crafton founded?

In 1872, according to Wikidata. Crafton’s post office opened in 1857, and the census of 1900 counted 1,927 people here.

How does Crafton rank for history?

Crafton is more historic than 72% of U.S. towns, #448 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 Crafton?

One place: the Campbell Building (listed 1988).

How old are the homes in Crafton?

51% of Crafton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.9 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1938.

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 (18), 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, 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.