Founding year: the first Leechburg post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1832.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Leechburg’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Leechburg is more historic than 77% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Leechburg’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 Leechburg’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (25% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.0 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1832 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Leechburg’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
Leechburg's origins trace back to the late 18th century, with early names such as "Friendship" and "White Plains." Nearby hamlets like "Old Town" and "Jacksonville" were among the earliest developed areas. Originally part of Allegheny Township, Armstrong County, civil engineer David Leech arrived in 1827 to construct a dam and lock for the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal along the Kiskiminetas River. Leech purchased land and developed a village, constructing mills, homes, and a boatyard that produced freight and passenger boats. The first canal boats passed through Leechburg in 1829. A ferry operated before the first bridge was constructed in 1846. Leech personally funded the town’s first school in 1829 and paid the teacher. Leechburg was incorporated on March 22, 1850, with Leech as its first burgess (Mayor). Leechburg quickly became a vital canal port west of the Allegheny Mountains, fac…
District courts. In 1901 he moved to Leechburg and established his office in the Farmers' National Bank building. While there he acted as solicitor for the boroughs of Leechburg, Apollo and Vandergrift, and continues in such position for Leechburg borough. He was appointed district attorney April 17, 1913, to fill a vacancy, and was elected for the full term
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
He was thus engaged until his untimely death, Feb. 3, 1905. He was injured at three o'clock on the afternoon of that day by an eastbound Pennsylvania railroad cattle train at Leechburg on the Westmoreland county side, was taken home, and died shortly after. He is buried in the Evergreen cemetery near Leechburg.
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
Leechburg, 1829 to 1942
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.
The Leechburg post office opened in 1829, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1832.
How does Leechburg rank for history?
Leechburg is more historic than 77% of U.S. towns. 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.
How old are the homes in Leechburg?
50% of Leechburg’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.0 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1940.
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 (15), 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.
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