Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 89% of U.S. towns · #201 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Its Register listing is the Martin Schultz House. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1908 on, and the census since 1910.
Hallam dates its founding to 1770 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1910.
More historic than 89% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hallam is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns, #201 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
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 Hallam’s 3.6 sits near the middle of its state (63% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hallam. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Hallam.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
In the archive3-4 VIEW. LOOKING NW. - Haines Shoe HouseFrom Wikipedia’s history of Hallam.
Before 1736, all parts of Pennsylvania west of the Susquehanna River, including present-day Hallam Borough and the surrounding Hellam Township, were land of the Iroquois.
In October 1736, the Proprietors of Pennsylvania received from the Five Nations deeds for the Susquehanna lands south of the Blue Mountains, including the borough and township.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Hallam, cut from the printed page as they were published.
portion of Lancaster County west of the Susquehanna into townships." Under the provisions of this act, the same year of its passage, the Township of Hallam, which originally included most of York County and Pennsborongh Township, which originally embraced all of Cumberland County, were erected, without any surveyed boundaries.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
portion of Lancaster County west of the Susquehanna into townships." Under the provisions of this act, the same year of its passage, the Township of Hallam, which originally included most of York County and Pennsborough Township, which originally embraced all of Cumberland County, were erected, without any surveyed boundaries.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the same to Shrewsbury Township (now Springfield and Hopewell), thence with the same township and the township of Chanceford to the Susquehanna, and up the same to Hallam Township, thence along the middle of that ridge of hills to Peter Petejrman's plantation and place of beginning; which last described township is to be called by the name of Windsor.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the same to Shrewsbury Township (now Springfield and Hopewell), thence with the same township and tlie township of Chancef ord to the Susquehanna, and up the same to Hallam Township, thence along the middle of that ridge of hills to Peter Peterman's plantation and place of beginning; which last described township is to be called by the name of Windsor.
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.
One decade in the archive so far: the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
19993-4 VIEW. LOOKING NW. - Haines Shoe House
1999DETAIL OF LEADED GLASS IN DOORWAY. - Haines Shoe House
1999ELEVATION, LOOKING N. OWNERS IN FOREGROUND. - Haines …
1999ENTRANCE SIGN AND FENCE. LOOKING NW. - Haines Shoe Ho…
1999KITCHEN TABLE WITH CURVED BENCH. - Haines Shoe House
1999WINDOW DETAILS. LOOKING N. - Haines Shoe House
2026St. James Lutheran Church, Hallam, PA, Feb. 2026
2026PA 462 wb in Hallam (2), Feb. 2026
2026PA 462 wb in Hallam (1), Feb. 2026
2026PA 462 wb entering Hallam, Feb. 2026
2026Faith United Methodist Church, Hallam, PA, Feb. 2026
2026Bethany United Brethren Church, Hallam, PA, Feb. 2026
2011Hallam, Pennsylvania
2011Hallam, Pennsylvania
2011Hallam, Pennsylvania
2011Hallam, Pennsylvania
2011Haines Shoe House
2008ShoehouseThe country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Grew from 472 people in 1910 to 2,775 in 2020, 5 times over.
12 censuses, 1910–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Hallam’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Hallam itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Another post office, Hellam, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
In 1770, according to Wikidata. Hallam’s post office opened in 1834, and the census of 1910 counted 472 people here.
Hallam is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns, #201 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.
One place: the Martin Schultz House (listed 1993).
23% of Hallam’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.3 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1992.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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), 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.
