Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 42% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1904 on, and the census since 1880.
The Dravosburg post office opened in 1862, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1903.
More historic than 42% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Dravosburg is more historic than 42% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
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 Dravosburg’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.
Founding year: the first post office (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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Peaked at 3,786 in 1950; 1,612 people lived here in 2020.
13 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Dravosburg’s Wikipedia page.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Dravosburg. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Dravosburg.
From Wikipedia’s history of Dravosburg.
A post office called Dravosburg(h) has been in operation since 1862. The borough was named for John F. Dravo, a mine owner. The town was struck by a severe tornado on June 23, 1944.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Dravosburg, cut from the printed page as they were published.
sistant, he became familiar with the details of the coal business, and embarked on his own account in 1840. He founded the village of Dravosburg, on the Monongahela, and continued to operate in coal till 1868, when he sold out to engage in the coke business.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
sistant, he became familiar with the details of the coal business, and embarked on his own account in 1840. He founded the village of Dravosburg, on the Monongahela, and continued to operate in coal till 1868, when he sold out to engage in the coke business.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
principal of the Amity Academy of Dravosburg, where he taught two years with great tact and ability. In 1878 he opened a large general store in Dravosburg, which is in a flourishing condition, and does business under the firm name of J. R. McLain & Co.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Dravosburg is so named from John F. Dravo, by whom the coal-mines were opened years ago. It is a town of several hundred inhabitants, and is favorably situated. Amity is virtually included under the name. Duquesne has come into existence within the past few years, and has received an impetus by the location here of extensive steelworks. The Duquesne Tube-works are in operation. Just below Braddock’s upper ripple a large plate-glass factory is being constructed. In the near future a thriving town will probably spring up around these establishments.
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereCliff Markle is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
In the archiveHABS PA,2-DRAVO.V,1-A- (sheet 0 of 3) - A. S. Rhodes Springhouse, Bull Run RoadOne decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
1933HABS PA,2-DRAVO.V,1-A- (sheet 0 of 3) - A. S. Rhodes …
1933HABS PA,2-DRAVO.V,1-A- (sheet 0 of 3) - A. S. Rhodes …
1933HABS PA,2-DRAVO.V,1-A- (sheet 1 of 3) - A. S. Rhodes …
1933HABS PA,2-DRAVO.V,1-A- (sheet 1 of 3) - A. S. Rhodes …
1933HABS PA,2-DRAVO.V,1-A- (sheet 2 of 3) - A. S. Rhodes …
1933HABS PA,2-DRAVO.V,1-A- (sheet 2 of 3) - A. S. Rhodes …No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Dravosburg’s page.
Retake this view · +15Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Dravosburg post office opened in 1862, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1903.
Dravosburg is more historic than 42% 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.
22% of Dravosburg’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.0 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1948.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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, 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.
