On its age, its old homes and the National Register, East Donegal Township is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #395 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of East Donegal 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 Donegal Township’s 102 sits above most of its state (89% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 89 historic buildings outnumber those of 89% 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 (±3.2 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 Donegal 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 Donegal Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1908Middletown 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 Donegal Township.
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
East Donegal Township is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #395 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 East Donegal Township?
7 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Cameron Estate (listed 1975, the first), and 3 historic districts, the Danville West Market Street Historic District, the Donegal Presbyterian Church Complex and the Chickies Historic District, with 77 contributing buildings. 89 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in East Donegal Township?
8% of East Donegal Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.2 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1994.
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 the National Register of Historic Places (7), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.