Lansford dates to 1845, and 63% of its homes were built before 1940
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns · #38 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 1,498 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1889 on, and the census since 1880.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1873.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Lansford’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lansford is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #38 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lansford’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 Lansford’s 3,604 sits above most of its state (100% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 1,498 historic buildings outnumber those of 99% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1845.
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 (±7.6 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 Lansford’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area where Lansford currently sits was originally the home of the "Wolf Tribe" of the Lenape people.
Lansford's first school was opened in 1847 on Abbott Street. Lansford's first church, the Welsh Congregational, was built in 1850 and still stands today on West Abbott Street.
The old No. 9 Mine and Museum in Lansford, a deep mine which operated from 1855 to 1972, is now open as a tourist attraction offering tours of the mine and a wealth of information on local mining history. A museum occupying the mine's former Wash Shanty building on the site displays a large collection of mining artifacts.
Passages that mention Lansford, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Carbon County, Pennsylvania1913 · page 218Read the page →
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Many of the Lansford churches were established as missions by the churches of Summit Hill. First among the number was the First Baptist church, founded about 1872. Its first building stood where the West Ward school house now stands. In 1888 the church was torn down and rebuilt on the present location.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Carbon County, Pennsylvania1913 · page 218Read the page →
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Manv of the Lansford churches were established as missions by the churches of Summit Hill. First among the number was the First Baptist church, founded about 1872. Its first building stood where the West Ward school house now stands. In 1888 the church was torn down and rebuilt on the present location.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Carbon County, Pennsylvania1913 · page 213Read the page →
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1873, under the name of Ashton, with Thomas W. Williams as postmaster. It was thus designated until early in 1877, when the town was incorporated as a borough and the name changed to Lansford. Prior to this Lansford formed a part of Mauch Chunk township. The place is divided into three wards, named East, Middle and West, respectively.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Carbon County, Pennsylvania1913 · page 212Read the page →
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sixties, the driving of the tunnel through the mountain between Hanto and this place, furnishing easy access to the outside world, all contributed to the rapid growth of Lansford and operated to draw life away from the parent town of Summit Hill. During 1870-71, the construction and repair shops and the offices of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company were removed from Summit Hill to Lansford, fur-
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
Lansford, 1845 to 1940
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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.
In 1845, according to Wikidata. Lansford’s post office opened in 1873, and the census of 1880 counted 2,206 people here.
How does Lansford rank for history?
Lansford is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #38 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 Lansford?
One place: the Lansford Historic District (listed 2012).
How old are the homes in Lansford?
63% of Lansford’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.6 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1938.
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 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 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.
1850
c. 1930
c. 1930
