More historic than 56% of U.S. towns · #653 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Most of Douglass Township was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1985. Below: maps from 1902 on and the census since 1930.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Douglass Township is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #653 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Douglass 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 Douglass 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 1741.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to B+. The pre-1940 share (±2.2 points) is firm at this size.
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 Douglass Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Three other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Douglass
1849–1888
Gilbertsville
1854–today
Niantic
1882–1973
Congo
1886–1917
Sassamansville
1886–today
18401930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
CongoGilbertsvilleNianticSassamansville
Gone or out of use
Fadler AirportairportHansen Airportairport
4cemeteries and burying grounds inside Douglass Township
Christ UnionSassamansville ReformedShepherd of the Hills ChurchUnion
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
On the map
Douglass Township on the map, 1902 to 1990
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Douglass Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1902Boyertown 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 Douglass Township.
The story so far
Douglass Township, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Douglass Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Douglass Township is a rural township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,585 at the 2020 census. Douglass Township is a largely rural community, with only about 30% of its land area developed with residential and commercial uses. Almost 45% of the township’s land area is dedicated to agricultural use, and another 22% is wooded or open fields. This rural character is a source of great community pride and identifies the township to residents and visitors. Douglass Township is located at the northwestern border of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and is a largely rural municipality totaling 15.8 square miles. Gilbertsville is a 3.4 square-mile Census Desig…
Douglass Township was established in 1741. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 10,195 to 10,585 (+4%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Douglass Township, 1741 to 1973
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In 1741, according to Wikidata. Douglass Township’s post office opened in 1849, and the census of 1930 counted 1,705 people here.
How does Douglass Township rank for history?
Douglass Township is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #653 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.
How old are the homes in Douglass Township?
8% of Douglass Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.2 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1985.
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 (8), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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