Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1849.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Duncannon’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Duncannon is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns. 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 Duncannon’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 Duncannon’s 7.2 sits above most of its state (72% 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 1792.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.3 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 Duncannon’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Duncannon was originally called Petersburg, and under the latter name was laid out in 1792. The present name is derived from Duncan's Island in the Susquehanna River.
The Puritan missionary David Brainerd visited the area in the 1740s. In his journal he describes his trip on the Susquehanna and his brief stay with an Indian tribe on Duncan's Island, across the river from present-day Duncannon.
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 year, then a sheet.
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
On the map
Duncannon on the map, 1907 to 1973
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Duncannon. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1907New Bloomfield 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 Duncannon.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Duncannon in 1922
Passages that mention Duncannon, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Perry County, Pennsylvania, including descriptions of Indians and pioneer life from the time of earliest settlement1922 · page 432Read the page →
Read the text
In the meantime, on April 17, 1866, the Duncannon, Bloomfield & Broad Top Railroad Company was incorporated, with a capital of $1,000,000, and with power to construct a railroad from a point at or near Duncannon, Perry County, to a point at Broad Top Mountain, in Bedford County, via New Bloomfield, and with the authority to connect with any railroad at either end. On February 27, 1868, the amount of the capital was reduced to $750,000, and the route changed so as to pass through Loysville. The incorpo-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Perry County, Pennsylvania, including descriptions of Indians and pioneer life from the time of earliest settlement1922 · page 431Read the page →
Read the text
1854, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed an act incorporating the Duncannon, Landisburg & Broad Top Railroad Company, with a capital of $Soo,ooo, and authorizing the construction of a railroad from a point at or near Duncannon, Terry County, to a point on Broad Top Mountain, in Bedford County, passing through Sherman's Valley via Shermansdale, Landisburg and Bixler's Mills, and through East Waterford, Juniata County. The act incorporating this line was signed by Governor William Bigler, himself a native
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History Of Perry County, Pennsylvania1922 · page 431Read the page →
Read the text
The first attempt to build a local road was made when, on May 5, 1854, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed an act incorporating the Duncannon, Landisburg & Broad ‘Top Railroad Company, with a capital of $800,000, and authorizing the construction of a railroad from a point at or near Duncannon, Perry County, to a point on Broad Top Mountain, in Bedford County, passing through Sherman’s Valley via Shermansdale, Landisburg and Bixler’s Mills, and through East Waterford, Juniata County. The act incorporating
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History Of Perry County, Pennsylvania1922 · page 959Read the page →
Read the text
—_— ss ---* in Duncannon, and the Duncan Island class remained in relationship as such until about the year 1886 or 1887, when the members of the latter class united with the church at Duncannon. From then on the church at Duncannon has been a station. The new church, built in 1903, is a brick structure of modern design, valued at $8,000 to $10,000. A new parsonage was recently purchased at a cost of $4,500. An incomplete record of the pastors follows: .
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
Duncannon, 1792 to 1980
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1792, according to Wikidata. Duncannon’s post office opened in 1849, and the census of 1870 counted 960 people here.
How does Duncannon rank for history?
Duncannon is more historic than 92% 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.
What is on the National Register in Duncannon?
One place: the Clark’s Ferry Tavern (listed 2021).
How old are the homes in Duncannon?
71% of Duncannon’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.3 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1938.
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, 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.
1903