Most of Eldred Township was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1980. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1930 on, and old-book passages.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1842.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Eldred Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Eldred Township is more historic than 41% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Eldred 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 Eldred 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 1802.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to B−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.2 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 Eldred Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Eldred Township is one of the smallest townships in Lycoming County. A petition was filed proposing the formation of the new township from Hepburn Township in 1858. The court directed an election to be held at Warrensville on October 12, 1858. The question of division was hotly contested, resulting in 109 votes for to 91 against the proposition. On the November 16, 1858, Judge Jordan made a decree erecting the township, and it was named Eldred, in honor of C. D. Eldred, who was then an associate on the bench.
Passages that mention Eldred Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania1929 · page 232Read the page →
Read the text
first postmaster. The educational and religious advantages of Eldred Township are of the best, and schoolhouses and churches flourish. In 1890 the township had a population of 540. Old Lycoming Township.—Extending in a westerly direction north of western, Williamsport is a township which is older than the county. It was established in 1785, ten years before the county was organized. It was then called Lycoming, but as a portion of it was subsequently taken off to form the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania1929 · page 231Read the page →
Read the text
been weatherboarded. At the time of its erection it was built of logs. Quakers were among the earliest settlers in the eastern part of the township, but their community is now located in Eldred Township, which was formerly a part of Hepburn. In 1890 Hepburn Township had a population of 688. Eldred Township, which lies directly east of Hepburn and extends from there to Loyalsock Creek, is one of the smallest in the county, being the thirty-seventh in size, with an area of
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.
By decade
Eldred Township, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Eldred Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1930Warrensville 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 Eldred Township.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this view1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania - Lycoming County - Eldred - ED 41-12, 1880
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Eldred Township’s page.
In 1802, according to Wikidata. Eldred Township’s post office opened in 1842.
How does Eldred Township rank for history?
Eldred Township is more historic than 41% 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.
How old are the homes in Eldred Township?
6% of Eldred 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 1980.
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), the Library of Congress (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
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