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Southern terminus of Pennsylvania State Route 167 in Hop BottomPhoto: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0
–Not graded
History · Hop Bottom

Hop Bottom dates to 1799, and 70% of its homes were built before 1940

1799founded
0on the National Register
70%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answers

How Hop Bottom began

When was Hop Bottom founded?

1799

Hop Bottom dates its founding to 1799 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1813.

2020 census: 311227 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1813.The full story ↓

What stands out about Hop Bottom’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Hop Bottom are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Hop Bottom’s homes were built before 1938.Deep rootsEstablished in 1799: 227 years of Hop Bottom.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Hop Bottom’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Hop Bottom came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Hop Bottom.

Read it all →

Hop Bottom was formerly known as "Foster." The present name is derived from nearby Hop Bottom Creek. Native Americans once lived in the area, and the only clear meadows to be found were near the bottom of the creek. These meadows were covered with hop vines, leading to the name "Hop Bottom."

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Hop Bottom, 1799 to 1875

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1799
    FoundingHop Bottom is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1813Post officeThe Hop Bottom post office opens
  5. 1875Post officeThe Foster post office opens
  6. 1875Post officeThe Foster post office closes
By decade

Hop Bottom, decade by decade

Today5 recent
Mary Karhnak Memorial Park, Hop Bottom, PA, April 20252025Mary Karhnak Memorial Park, Hop Bottom, PA, April 2025Hop Bottom, PA general store and post office, April 20252025Hop Bottom, PA general store and post office, April 2…Hop Bottom, PA Masonic lodge, April 20252025Hop Bottom, PA Masonic lodge, April 2025Hop Bottom, PA Borough Building, April 20252025Hop Bottom, PA Borough Building, April 2025Grace Lutheran Church, Hop Bottom, PA, April 20252025Grace Lutheran Church, Hop Bottom, PA, April 2025
Famous people

Famous people close to Hop Bottom

Nobody well known was born in Hop Bottom itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Christy MathewsonAmerican Major League baseball player, manager · b. 1880
T
Timmy MayerAmerican racing driver · b. 1938
Jim SaxtonUnited States Congressman from New Jersey · b. 1943
Don SherwoodAmerican politician · b. 1941
B
Bob O'ConnorAmerican mayor · b. 1944
Henry Wilbur PalmerAmerican politician · b. 1839
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Hop Bottom’s post office has been open since 1813. Another post office, Foster, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Hop Bottom
1813–today
Foster
1875–1875
18101920today

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.

Lathrop TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townLenox TownshipIts storyB

Questions about Hop Bottom’s history

What year was Hop Bottom founded?

In 1799, according to Wikidata. Hop Bottom’s post office opened in 1813.

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (5), 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.