History · Freeport

Freeport dates to 1796, and 49% of its homes were built before 1940

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

Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1840.

1796founded

0on the National Register

49%homes built before 1940

1old photo or paper

9famous people

Add an old photo Share a memory

From Freeport’s archive · credits on each photo

Quick answers

How Freeport began

When was Freeport founded?

1796

Freeport dates its founding to 1796 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1840.

First census: 727 in 18402020 census: 1,736230 years

How historic is Freeport?

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: 1806.The full story ↓

History grade

What drives Freeport’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Freeport 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 Freeport’s overall grade.

Founding era1796, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA⁻Homes built before 194049.3% of homes (±6.8) · 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 Freeport’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.

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 (±6.8 points). Two sources give 1796.

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 Freeport’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 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Mapped building by building6 fire insurance maps, 1886 to 1913, drew every building in Freeport.Boom and bustPeaked at 2,772 in 1930; 1,736 people lived here in 2020.Old housesHalf of Freeport’s homes were built before 1941.

★ What stands out · Help out

Start Freeport’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos

00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.

Retake an old viewFreeport PA United Presby PHS227: stand where they stood+15 Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Every building

Freeport, building by building, 1886–1913

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.

Freeport fire insurance map, 1886, sheet 1

1886Sheet 1 of 4

Edition

Sheets

+3 more at the Library of Congress

BrickWoodStone

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

People over time

Freeport, census by census

Peaked at 2,772 in 1930; 1,736 people lived here in 2020.

18 censuses, 1840–2020.

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

The story

How Freeport came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Freeport.

Read it all →

The first settlement was made at Freeport in the 1760s. Freeport received its name from David Todd, who declared it a free and open port. The borough was incorporated in 1833. Freeport was a port on the former Pennsylvania Canal.

Twenty-seven lots on the lands became Freeport borough, and were conveyed by William and David Todd for $24 each in 1797. This land was originally part of Westmoreland County, but by the time the town was laid out, it had been made part of Allegheny County.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Freeport in 1883

Passages that mention Freeport, cut from the printed page as they were published.

ing the town of Freeport, lands of Henry S. Weaver, James Armstrong and other land of Arnold. This tanyard was assessed to Arnold until he and Jack conveyed it with the 2 acres and dwelling-house to Thomas Robinson, September 21, 1S30, for $650, who was not thereafter assessed with that tanyard, wh… — **History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania**1883 · page 411Read the page →
Read the text
ing the town of Freeport, lands of Henry S. Weaver, James Armstrong and other land of Arnold. This tanyard was assessed to Arnold until he and Jack conveyed it with the 2 acres and dwelling-house to Thomas Robinson, September 21, 1S30, for $650, who was not thereafter assessed with that tanyard, which was the first one operated in Freeport. On that parcel of land " Robinson's
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

gheny county as lay within Elder's district, being a part of the township of Deer, were made an election district, and the house of James McCormick, in the town of Freeport, was designated as the place for holding the elections. On the petition of the inhabitants of Pine and Deer townships the cour… — **History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania**1883 · page 105Read the page →
Read the text
gheny county as lay within Elder's district, being a part of the township of Deer, were made an election district, and the house of James McCormick, in the town of Freeport, was designated as the place for holding the elections. On the petition of the inhabitants of Pine and Deer townships the court of quarter sessions of Allegheny county, December, 1797, made the fol-
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

Freeport, 1796 to 1930

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

18th century
1796
FoundingFreeport is established
19th century
1806Post officeThe Freeport post office opens
1839Born hereJoseph Grant Beale is born here
1881Born hereRed Bowser is born here
20th century
1907On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
1920Born hereDon Taylor is born here
1923In the archiveFreeport PA United Presby PHS227
1925Born hereDonald R. Lobaugh is born here
1930CensusPopulation peaks at 2,772

By decade

Freeport, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1920s1 item

1923Freeport PA United Presby PHS227

1930s–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

Today17 recent

2010Freeport, Pennsylvania

2009Freeport bridge

On the map

Freeport on the map, 1907 to 1993

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

1907Freeport 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 Freeport.

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 viewFreeport PA United Presby PHS227, 1923

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

Retake this view · +15

Famous people

9 famous people were born in Freeport

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

See all →

Don TaylorAmerican actor and film director · b. 1920

Joseph Grant BealeUnion Army officer · b. 1839

Donald R. LobaughUnited States Army Medal of Honor recipient · b. 1925

Red BowserAmerican baseball player · b. 1881

Timothy PesciAmerican politician · b. 1944

Bob MorganAmerican football player · b. 1930

Places that used to be

Old corners and places now gone

Freeport’s post office has been open since 1806.

Hamlets and corners on the map

Laneville

Gone or out of use

Freeport Junction Stationbuilding

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

South Buffalo Township1 historic placeB⁺Allegheny TownshipIts storyC⁻Buffalo TownshipIts storyB⁻

Questions about Freeport’s history

What year was Freeport founded?

In 1796, according to Wikidata. Freeport’s post office opened in 1806, and the census of 1840 counted 727 people here.

How does Freeport rank for history?

Freeport 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 Freeport?

49% of Freeport’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.8 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1941.

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 (18), Wikipedia, 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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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