Elizabeth Township dates to 1787, and 12% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 79% of U.S. towns · #332 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 11 buildings between them. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1904 on, and the census since 1850.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1851.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Elizabeth Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Elizabeth Township is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #332 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Elizabeth 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 Elizabeth Township’s 8.7 sits above most of its state (75% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 11 historic buildings outnumber those of 76% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1787.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.9 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 Elizabeth Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Elizabeth Town was founded in 1787 by Samuel Mackay, Colonel Stephen Bayard and his wife Elizabeth Mackay Bayard (for whom the town was named). Elizabeth was one of the first seven townships organized by Allegheny County the following year; the others being Moon, St. Clair, Mifflin, Versailles, Plum, and Pitt. The original Elizabeth Township comprised the entire triangle of land between the Monongahela and Youghiogheny Rivers. In addition to present-day Elizabeth Borough and Elizabeth Township, this also included areas which are now Forward Township, Lincoln Borough, Port Vue Borough, Liberty Borough, the City of Glassport, and the Tenth Ward of the City of McKeesport.
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 Elizabeth Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1904Pittsburgh 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 Elizabeth 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 viewElizabeth and West Elizabeth, Allegheny County Pennsylvania, 1897, 1897
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Elizabeth Township’s page.
In 1787, according to Wikidata. Elizabeth Township’s post office opened in 1851, and the census of 1850 counted 1,120 people here.
How does Elizabeth Township rank for history?
Elizabeth Township is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #332 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 Elizabeth Township?
Two places: the Hutchinson Farm (listed 1986) and the Van Kirk Farm (1986).
How old are the homes in Elizabeth Township?
12% of Elizabeth Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.9 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1961.
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), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.
1897
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