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A−History
History · Factoryville

Factoryville dates to 1798, and 55% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 77% of U.S. towns. What drives it

Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1903 on, and the census since 1880.

1798founded
0on the National Register
55%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Factoryville’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Factoryville began

When was Factoryville founded?

1798

Factoryville dates its founding to 1798 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 462 in 18802020 census: 1,165228 years

How historic is Factoryville?

A−

More historic than 77% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1828.
History grade

What drives Factoryville’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Factoryville is more historic than 77% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Factoryville’s overall grade.
Founding era1798, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194054.9% of homes (±10.5) · typical PA town 17.7% · U.S. 8.4%A+National RegisterNo listings counted · typical PA town 2.1 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 77%
NewerOlder

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 Factoryville’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 1798.
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 (±10.5 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 Factoryville’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Factoryville’s homes were built before 1938.Deep rootsEstablished in 1798: 228 years of Factoryville.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Factoryville’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Factoryville’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFactoryville PA B Eye view 1891: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story so far

Factoryville, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Factoryville yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Factoryville is a borough in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,146 at the 2020 census. Factoryville was named for a woolen factory near the original town site.

Factoryville was established in 1798. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 1,158 in 2010, 1,165 in 2020.

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Factoryville, 1798 to 1946

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 18th century
  2. 1798
    FoundingFactoryville is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1828Post officeThe Factoryville post office opens
  5. 1880Born hereChristy Mathewson is born here
  6. 1886Born hereHenry Mathewson is born here
  7. 1891In the archiveFactoryville PA B Eye view 1891
  8. 20th century
  9. 1946On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Factoryville, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1890s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s2 items
Factoryville PA B Eye view 18911891Factoryville PA B Eye view 1891Factoryville, Wyoming County, Penn'a1891Factoryville, Wyoming County, Penn'a
1900s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Today10 recent
Factoryville, PA Borough Offices and library, April 20252025Factoryville, PA Borough Offices and library, April 2…College Avenue sb, Factoryville, PA (1), April 20252025College Avenue sb, Factoryville, PA (1), April 2025College Avenue nb, Factoryville, PA (2), April 20252025College Avenue nb, Factoryville, PA (2), April 2025College Avenue nb, Factoryville, PA (1), April 20252025College Avenue nb, Factoryville, PA (1), April 2025Bridge at Christy Mathewson Park, Factoryville, PA, April 20252025Bridge at Christy Mathewson Park, Factoryville, PA, A…US Route 11 - Pennsylvania2012US Route 11 - PennsylvaniaUS Route 6 - Pennsylvania2009US Route 6 - PennsylvaniaUS Route 6 - Pennsylvania2009US Route 6 - PennsylvaniaUS Route 6 - Pennsylvania2009US Route 6 - PennsylvaniaUS Route 11 - Pennsylvania2003US Route 11 - Pennsylvania
On the map

Factoryville on the map, 1946 to 1994

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Factoryville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Factoryville on the 1946 USGS mapFactoryville on the 1969 USGS mapFactoryville on the 1994 USGS map1946Factoryville sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Factoryville.

Every building

Factoryville, building by building, 1903–1911

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.

Factoryville fire insurance map, 1903, sheet 11903Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

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.

Factoryville PA B Eye view 1891
Retake this viewFactoryville PA B Eye view 1891, 1891

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Factoryville’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Factoryville, census by census

02004006008001,0001,2001,40018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 1,310

Between 462 and 1,310 people in every census since 1880.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Factoryville’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Factoryville

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Christy MathewsonAmerican Major League baseball player, manager · b. 1880
Henry MathewsonAmerican baseball player · b. 1886
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Clinton TownshipIts storyB−

Questions about Factoryville’s history

What year was Factoryville founded?

In 1798, according to Wikidata. Factoryville’s post office opened in 1828, and the census of 1880 counted 462 people here.

How does Factoryville rank for history?

Factoryville is more historic than 77% 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 Factoryville?

55% of Factoryville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±10.5 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1938.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (12), 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 and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.