Half of East Allen Township’s homes were built after 1978
More historic than 21% of U.S. towns · #995 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Most of East Allen Township was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1978. Below: maps from 1894 on and the census since 2000.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, East Allen Township is more historic than 21% of U.S. towns, #995 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of East Allen 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 East Allen 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.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.6 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 East Allen Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of East Allen Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1894Allentown 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 East Allen Township.
Craig's Scotch-Irish Settlement was established in 1728, and is the oldest permanent settlement in Northampton County along the Catasauqua Creek. In 1730 they started meeting as a congregation in homes. The Scotch-Irish Presbyterians of Allen Township established a church, in 1731, made of logs. The present church (now God's Missionary Church) was built in 1813. It is the 3rd church that was built by the Presbyterians. East Allen Township was established in 1842 from what was Allen Twp. With the new township boundaries, the settlement is now located in East Allen Township at 4965 Nor-Bath Blvd. in Northampton, PA 18067 (between Bath and Northampton).
Passages that mention East Allen Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Northampton County [Pennsylvania] and the grand valley of the Lehigh under supervision and revision of William J. Heller, assisted by an advisory board of editors..1920 · page 502Read the page →
Read the text
East Allen Township — East Allen township was a part of Allen township from the time of the settlement until 1845, when it became a separate organization. It is bounded on the north by Moore township, on the east by Upper and Lower Nazareth townships, on the south by Hanover township, and on the west by Allen township. The township consists of rich rolling farming land, and is drained by the Catasauqua and Monocacy creeks. When Bath became a borough, it left the township with only three villages, Jacksonville, Seemsville and Weaversville.
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
East Allen Township, 1831 to 1908
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
East Allen Township is more historic than 21% of U.S. towns, #995 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 East Allen Township?
7% of East Allen Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.6 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1978.
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 Wikipedia, 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.
