Kennett Square dates to 1682, and 29% of its homes were built before 1940
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns · #33 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 507 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1901 on, and the census since 1860.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1802.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Kennett Square’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Kennett Square is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #33 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Kennett Square’s overall grade.
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 Kennett Square’s 812 sits above most of its state (96% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 507 historic buildings outnumber those of 97% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1682.
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 (±7.2 points).
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 Kennett Square’s past
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 Kennett Square. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1901West Chester 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 Kennett Square.
The area that became known as Kennett Square was originally inhabited by the Lenape Native American tribe. Once colonized, the town was named Kennett Square, a reference to Kennett, Wiltshire, England, with "Square" referring to the original land grant from William Penn, which was one square mile. In 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, Sir William Howe, a British Army general, led troops through Kennett Square on their way to the Battle of Brandywine.
In the 19th century, the borough played an instrumental role in the Underground Railroad, which helped slaves escape the South for freedom. In 1853, a group asked for Kennett Square to be incorporated, and by 1855, it held elections.
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.
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.
In 1682, according to Wikidata. Kennett Square’s post office opened in 1802, and the census of 1860 counted 606 people here.
How does Kennett Square rank for history?
Kennett Square is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #33 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 Kennett Square?
One place: the Kennett Square Historic District (listed 1989).
How old are the homes in Kennett Square?
29% of Kennett Square’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.2 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1957.
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 (5), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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 and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1899
