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AHistory
History · Delmont

Delmont dates to 1814, and 14% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 87% of U.S. towns · #227 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 64 buildings. Below: maps from 1904 on and the census since 1850.

1814founded
1on the National Register
14%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Quick answers

How Delmont began

When was Delmont founded?

1814

Delmont dates its founding to 1814 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1850.

First census: 299 in 18502020 census: 2,596212 years

How historic is Delmont?

A

More historic than 87% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1871.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Delmont’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Delmont is more historic than 87% of U.S. towns, #227 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Delmont’s overall grade.
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 87%
NewerOlder
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,035)Ahead of 78%

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 Delmont’s 245 sits above most of its state (92% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 64 historic buildings outnumber those of 87% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1814.
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 (±4.7 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 Delmont’s past

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

★ What stands out · Help out

Start Delmont’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
People over time

Delmont, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0001850190019502000448 in 1870Low: 311

Lost a third of its people between 1870 and 1890, then grew 8-fold.

18 censuses, 1850–2020.

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

On the National Register

1 listing protects 64 historic buildings

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

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
64
each building in a district counts
first listed
1978
Salem Crossroads Historic District
Districts

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival1
Classical1
Italianate1
Gothic1
Queen Anne1

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

The story

How Delmont came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Delmont.

Read it all →

Delmont was initially known as New Salem. The 300 acres of land was warranted to William Wilson in 1784, and upon his arrival in 1785, he named the area New Salem. In 1812, a post office was established in New Salem, "Salem X Roads" (Salem Crossroads), Pennsylvania. Hugh Bigham was the first postmaster. Wilson continued to farm on the land until he died in 1796.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Delmont in 1906

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

Walton engaged in it, placing a large number of teams upon the road and practically establishing a regular freight line, which he operated successfully, for a period of fourteen years. During this time lie became well acquainted along the pike, and the thriving village of Delmont, together with its…
History of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania1906 · page 567Read the page →
Read the text

Walton engaged in it, placing a large number of teams upon the road and practically establishing a regular freight line, which he operated successfully, for a period of fourteen years. During this time lie became well acquainted along the pike, and the thriving village of Delmont, together with its excellent hotel, met his approval to such an extent as to cause him to open negotiations for the purchase of the latter, which culminated in his taking possession of that property in 1850. This hotel, which was erected by Henry Hugus about the year 1S40, was a noted resting place on the long stage line passing through

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

Delmont, 1814 to 2010

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1814
    FoundingDelmont is established
  3. 1869Born hereJoe Trees is born here
  4. 1871Post officeThe Delmont post office opens
  5. 1880Born hereWilliam M. Berlin is born here
  6. 20th century
  7. 1904On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 21st century
  9. 2010CensusPopulation peaks at 2,686
By decade

Delmont, decade by decade

On the map

Delmont on the map, 1904 to 1993

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

Delmont on the 1904 USGS mapDelmont on the 1954 USGS mapDelmont on the 1969 USGS mapDelmont on the 1993 USGS map1904Greensburg 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 Delmont.

Every building

Delmont, building by building, 1909

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.

Delmont fire insurance map, 1909, sheet 11909Sheet 1 of 2

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Delmont

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

See all →
Places that used to be

Old burying grounds

Delmont’s post office has been open since 1871.

3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Delmont
East ViewEast ViewTwin Valley Memorial Park

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

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Questions about Delmont’s history

What year was Delmont founded?

In 1814, according to Wikidata. Delmont’s post office opened in 1871, and the census of 1850 counted 299 people here.

How does Delmont rank for history?

Delmont is more historic than 87% of U.S. towns, #227 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 Delmont?

One place: the Salem Crossroads Historic District (listed 1978).

How old are the homes in Delmont?

14% of Delmont’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.7 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1977.

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 (6), 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.