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A+History
History · Johnstown

Johnstown dates to 1770, and 48% of its homes were built before 1940

Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns · #9 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it

11 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Cambria Iron Company, a National Historic Landmark, and five historic districts with 1,073 buildings between them. Below: 18 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1840.

1770founded
11on the National Register
48%homes built before 1940
18old photos & papers
57famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Johnstown’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Johnstown began

When was Johnstown founded?

1770

Johnstown dates its founding to 1770 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1840.

First census: 949 in 18402020 census: 18,411256 years

How historic is Johnstown?

A+

Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1811.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Johnstown’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Johnstown is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #9 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs put Johnstown near the top nationally; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest.

A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Johnstown’s overall grade.
Founding era1770, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 194047.7% of homes (±3.3) · typical PA town 17.7% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register11 listings, 1,079 historic buildings, 597 per 10,000 residents · typical PA town 2.1 · U.S. 2.4A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Among the top 1%
NewerOlder
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,035)#9 of 1,035

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 Johnstown’s 597 sits above most of its state (95% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 1,079 historic buildings outnumber those of 99% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.3 points). Two sources give 1770.

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 Johnstown’s past

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

A historic districtThe Moxham Historic District takes in 330 historic buildings.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Johnstown, and 12 old place names are still on the map.A National Historic Landmark11 places on the National Register, including Cambria Iron Company, a National Historic Landmark.A town in old photos18 old photos, postcards and papers, 1845–1889.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

11 listings protect 1,079 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. One is a National Historic Landmark, the highest tier.

places listed
11
National Historic Landmark
1
Cambria Iron Company
historic buildings protected
1,079
each building in a district counts
first listed
1972
Cambria Public Library Building
Cambria Public Library Building, built 1973Nathan's Department StoreGrand Army of the Republic HallBridge in Johnstown CityCambria City Historic DistrictDowntown Johnstown Historic DistrictOld Conemaugh Borough Historic DistrictMoxham Historic DistrictFirst Cambria AME Zion ChurchJohnstown Masonic TempleCambria Iron Company★
BuildingsDistrictsStructures★ landmark

Architectural styles listings

Queen Anne4
Second Empire3
French Gothic2
Vernacular Industrial1
Victorian1
Vernacular Urban House Form1
★ Landmark
Cambria Iron CompanyVernacular Industrial
Cambria Public Library BuildingFrench Gothic · Built 1973
Nathan's Department StoreBuilding
Grand Army of the Republic HallBuilding
Bridge in Johnstown CityStructure
Cambria City Historic DistrictQueen Anne
Downtown Johnstown Historic DistrictRomanesque
Old Conemaugh Borough Historic DistrictQueen Anne
All 11 listings
Moxham Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1999First Cambria AME Zion ChurchBuilding · listed 2025Johnstown Masonic TempleBuilding · listed 2025

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Johnstown’s post office has been open since 1811. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Johnstown
1811–today
Conemaugh
1815–1915
Cooperdale
1870–1887
18101920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Cambria CityConemaughCoopersdaleHornerstownKernvilleMinersvilleMoxhamOakhurstProspectRoxburyWalnut GroveWoodvale
Gone or out of use
East Conemaugh Post Officepost office
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Johnstown
DeckerSandyvale Memorial Gardens and Conservancy

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

The story

How Johnstown came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Johnstown.

Read it all →

Johnstown was settled by Europeans in 1770. Its population and economy expanded from the post-Civil War period well into the 20th century, as the Industrial Revolution stimulated manufacturing, mining of iron and coal, and the rise of the steel industry. These industrial jobs attracted migrants from the South and new groups of immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe.

The city has suffered three major floods in its history. The Johnstown Flood of May 31, 1889, occurred after the earthen South Fork Dam collapsed 14.1 miles (22.7 km) upstream from the city during heavy rains. At least 2,209 people died as a result of the flood and subsequent fire that raged through the debris.

Chapters19th century20th century21st century

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Johnstown in 1889

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

tance east of Johnstown, and runs to the borough, where it is joined by Stony Creek. The river passes under a heavy stone railway bridge, and by the neighboring village of Cambria, named from the county of which Johnstown is the seat. Then it continues westward, makes its way by Blairsville to the …
The complete history of the Johnstown and Conemaugh valley flood1889 · page 40Read the page →
Read the text

tance east of Johnstown, and runs to the borough, where it is joined by Stony Creek. The river passes under a heavy stone railway bridge, and by the neighboring village of Cambria, named from the county of which Johnstown is the seat. Then it continues westward, makes its way by Blairsville to the Kiskiminitas, which is one of the principal feeders of the Alleghany Biver. Williamsport is in the drainage basin of the Atlantic slope, while Johnstown has

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

Johnstown, 1770 to 1989

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1770
    FoundingJohnstown is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1811Post officeThe Johnstown post office opens
  5. 1815Post officeThe Conemaugh post office opens
  6. 1845In the archiveAqueduct on old Penn'a Canal at Johnstown, 1845
  7. 1866In the archiveAppalling calamity at Johnstown, Pa., on Friday, Sept. 14th, caused by the falling of a r…
  8. 1870Post officeThe Cooperdale post office opens
  9. 1887Post officeThe Cooperdale post office closes
  10. 1888In the archiveCambria Iron Works
  11. 20th century
  12. 1904On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  13. 1915Post officeThe Conemaugh post office closes
  14. 1920CensusPopulation peaks at 67,327
  15. 1927Born hereSteve Ditko is born here
  16. 1931Born hereCarroll Baker is born here
  17. 1933Born hereMichael Novak is born here
  18. 1967Born hereAlex Azar is born here
  19. 1973BuiltCambria Public Library Building is built
  20. 1989LandmarkCambria Iron Company named a National Historic Landmark
By decade

Johnstown, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1840s to the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1840s–1880s18 items
Aqueduct on old Penn'a Canal at Johnstown, 18451845Aqueduct on old Penn'a Canal at Johnstown, 1845Appalling calamity at Johnstown, Pa., on Friday, Sept. 14th, caused by the falling of a railroad bridge crowded with th…1866Appalling calamity at Johnstown, Pa., on Friday, Sept…Crop straighten autotune Appalling calamity at Johnstown, Pa., on Friday, Sept. 14th, caused by the falling of a railro…1866Crop straighten autotune Appalling calamity at Johnst…View at Johnstown1867View at JohnstownCambria Iron Works1888Cambria Iron WorksCambria Iron Works1888Cambria Iron WorksBird's-eye view of the Conemaugh Valley from Nineveh to the lake, Johnstown, Pa. - from personal sketches and surveys o…1889Bird's-eye view of the Conemaugh Valley from Nineveh …Dam, south fork, after Johnstown flood, Pennsylvania1889Dam, south fork, after Johnstown flood, PennsylvaniaThe Johnstown calamity. Log jam in Main Street1889The Johnstown calamity. Log jam in Main StreetThe Johnstown calamity- Valley of the Conemaugh, from South Fork1889The Johnstown calamity- Valley of the Conemaugh, from…Johnstown Flood1889Johnstown FloodThe Johnstown calamity. A slightly damaged house1889The Johnstown calamity. A slightly damaged houseAfro-Americans with wagons at flood site, some digging1889Afro-Americans with wagons at flood site, some diggingThe Johnstown calamity. A slightly damaged house1889The Johnstown calamity. A slightly damaged houseJohnstown disaster, May 31, 89. Cambria mills1889Johnstown disaster, May 31, 89. Cambria millsGeneral view of Johnstown from Prospect Hill1889General view of Johnstown from Prospect HillThe Johnstown calamity [Johnstown, Pa. Flood, 1889]: Somebody's darling - unclaimed - unknown1889The Johnstown calamity [Johnstown, Pa. Flood, 1889]: …The Johnstown calamity [Johnstown, Pa. Flood, 1889]: Wreck of the Catholic Church1889The Johnstown calamity [Johnstown, Pa. Flood, 1889]: …
1890s–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
On the map

Johnstown on the map, 1904 to 1972

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

Johnstown on the 1904 USGS mapJohnstown on the 1964 USGS mapJohnstown on the 1972 USGS map1904Johnstown 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 Johnstown.

Every building

Johnstown, 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.

Johnstown fire insurance map, 1886, sheet 11886Sheet 1 of 13
Edition
BrickWoodStone

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

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.

Aqueduct on old Penn'a Canal at Johnstown, 1845
Retake this viewAqueduct on old Penn'a Canal at Johnstown, 1845, 1845

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

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Johnstown, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,00055,00060,00065,00070,00075,0001850190019502000Peak: 67,327

Peaked at 67,327 in 1920; 18,411 people lived here in 2020.

19 censuses, 1840–2020.

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

Famous people

57 famous people were born in Johnstown

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

See all →
Carroll BakerAmerican actress · b. 1931
Steve DitkoAmerican comics artist · b. 1927
Alex AzarAmerican politician · b. 1967
Michael NovakAmerican theologian, philosopher, journalist, n… · b. 1933
T
Tim KazurinskyAmerican actor · b. 1950
F
Frank BenfordAmerican electrical engineer & physicist best k… · b. 1883
Help out

Finish Johnstown’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewAqueduct on old Penn'a Canal at Johnsto…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Lower Yoder TownshipIts storyB+Westmont2 historic placesAStonycreek TownshipIts storyC+West Taylor TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townOaklandIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townSouthmont1 historic placeB+East Taylor TownshipIts storyB−ElimIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townFerndaleIts storyB+Upper Yoder TownshipIts storyB−

Questions about Johnstown’s history

What year was Johnstown founded?

In 1770, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Johnstown’s post office opened in 1811, and the census of 1840 counted 949 people here.

How does Johnstown rank for history?

Johnstown is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #9 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.

What is on the National Register in Johnstown?

11 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Cambria Public Library Building (listed 1972, the first), 5 historic districts with 1,073 contributing buildings, and 1 structure. 1,079 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Johnstown?

48% of Johnstown’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.3 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1942.

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 (6), the Library of Congress (12), the National Register of Historic Places (11), 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.