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History · Hostetter

Hostetter’s post office opened in 1890, and 25% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1900 on.

1890first post office
0on the National Register
25%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Hostetter began

When was Hostetter founded?

1890

The Hostetter post office opened in 1890, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 732136 years
Founding year: the first Hostetter post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Hostetter’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 Hostetter are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19004 editions of the USGS map, 1900 to 1993. Watch Hostetter change.Old housesHalf of Hostetter’s homes were built before 1953.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Hostetter’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Hostetter on the map, 1900 to 1993

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

Hostetter on the 1900 USGS mapHostetter on the 1964 USGS mapHostetter on the 1973 USGS mapHostetter on the 1993 USGS map1900Latrobe 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 Hostetter.

The story so far

Hostetter, in brief

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

Hostetter is a census-designated place located in Unity Township, Westmoreland County in the state of Pennsylvania, United States. It is located near Pennsylvania Route 981. As of the 2010 census the population was 740 residents.

Its first post office opened in 1890. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 740 in 2010, 732 in 2020.

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

By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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Famous people

Famous people close to Hostetter

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

See all →
Fred RogersAmerican television personality · b. 1928
Arnold PalmerAmerican golfer · b. 1929
Herbert BoyerAmerican researcher and businessman · b. 1936
Bruce WeberAmerican photographer · b. 1946
S
Sheila KelleyAmerican actress · b. 1961
Vic MignognaAmerican voice actor · b. 1962

Questions about Hostetter’s history

What year was Hostetter founded?

The Hostetter post office opened in 1890, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
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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 U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.