Its Register listing is the Capt. William Vicary House. Its Register listing is the Capt. William Vicary House. Below: 14 old photos and papers, maps from 1953 on, and the census since 1840.
Founding year: the first Freedom post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Freedom’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Freedom is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Freedom’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 Freedom’s 6.7 sits above most of its state (71% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±9.1 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Freedom’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Freedom's establishment dates to 1832 when shipbuilders Jonathan Betz and Stephen Phillips, formerly based across the Ohio River in Phillipsburg, purchased a 101-acre tract from Abner Lacock. The company established a boatyard, and within a year, 14 homes were located in the settlement. South of Freedom was another village named Vicary, on the tract owned by William Vicary. The Captain William Vicary House remains a local landmark, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the 1870s, St. Clair borough was established between Vicary and Freedom, and the three communities consolidated into Freedom in 1896. Important businesses in the borough through the first half of the 20th century included Freedom Casket Company and Freedom Oil Company.
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.
Passages that mention Freedom, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania1888 · page 112Read the page →
Read the text
Rev. James Wright, aged 60 years. For thirty-eight years he was a zealous minister to the Westfield Presbj'terian congregation. 2 June, in Green township, Robert JIcHarg, aged 02 years. 20 September, in Raccoon township, John Kerr, aged 84 years. 12 October, in Freedom, Robert Hall, aged 71 years. 10 November, in North Beaver township, Henry Weyand, aged 50 years. 34 November, in Freedom, James Freedom, aged 73 yeans. 2 December, in Hanover, Andrew McC'auHey, aged 90 yeai's. Deceased had been a resident for nearly 50 years.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania1888 · page 112Read the page →
Read the text
Rev. James AV right, aged 60 years. For thirty-eight years he was a zealous minister to the Westfield Presbyterian congregation. 2 June, in Green township, Robert McHarg, aged 62 years. 20 September, in Raccoon township, John Kerr, aged 84 years. 12' October, in Freedom, Robert Hall, aged 71 years. 10 November, in North Beaver township, Henry Weyand, aged 50 years. 24 November, in Freedom, James Freedom, aged 73 years. 2 December, in Hanover, Andrew McCaulley, aged 90 years. Deceased had been a resident for nearly 50 years.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania1888 · page 526Read the page →
Read the text
Freedom was founded in 1832, by Stephen Phillips and Jonathan Betz, partners in steamboat building. How long Mr. Betz continued a partner is not known; but it must have been only a short time, for the firm name was Phillips & Graham the same year, as will be witnessed by the following item taken from the Beaver Argus for May, 1832: Rapid Work.— Messrs. Phillips & Graliam purchased a tract of land [about one hundred acres — R.] from General Lacock, on the Ohio river, on Monday of last week,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania1888 · page 526Read the page →
Read the text
Freedom has always taken commendable interest in educational matters. In early days her peojile were concerned in the growth and prosperity of tiie Concord and Freedom academy, which, on the 5th of February, 1855, was by William Brown, Sr., of Economy township, and James McKee of the borough of Freedom, trustees, sold to Rev. John
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
Freedom, 1826 to 1953
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Freedom post office opened in 1832, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Freedom rank for history?
Freedom is more historic than 90% 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.
What is on the National Register in Freedom?
One place: the Capt. William Vicary House (listed 1974).
How old are the homes in Freedom?
46% of Freedom’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.1 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1942.
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 (9), the Library of Congress (14), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.
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