Lower Burrell dates to 1852, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 43% of U.S. towns · #821 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Most of Lower Burrell was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1962. Its Register listing is the Allegheny River Lock and Dam No. 4. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1907 on, and the census since 1960.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1891.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Lower Burrell’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lower Burrell is more historic than 43% of U.S. towns, #821 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lower Burrell’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 Lower Burrell’s 1.7 sits near the middle of its state (56% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 2 historic buildings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1852.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.5 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 Lower Burrell’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds
Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Braeburn
1891–1967
Edgecliff
1898–1904
18901960today
Hamlets and corners on the map
BraeburnEdgecliffKinlock
3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Lower Burrell
BethelGreenwood Memorial ParkSaint Marys
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
On the map
Lower Burrell on the map, 1907 to 1993
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Lower Burrell. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1907Freeport 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 Lower Burrell.
The region in which Lower Burrell is located was originally part of the hunting reserves of the Iroquois. Permanent European settlement began in the 1760s, and Westmoreland County was created in 1773. In 1852, due to an increase in population in the area, Burrell Township was carved out of Allegheny Township on court order of Judge Jeremiah Murry Burrell. In 1879 Burrell Township was divided into two separate townships, Lower Burrell and Upper Burrell. The present-day cities of New Kensington and Arnold were once part of Lower Burrell Township. In the years that followed, Lower Burrell transformed from a quiet, rural farm community to a residential and commercial area while Upper Burrell stayed primarily rural. Upper Burrell Township is still somewhat rural, though it has experienced some suburban growth and sprawl in recent years.
In 1852, according to Wikidata. Lower Burrell’s post office opened in 1891, and the census of 1960 counted 11,952 people here.
How does Lower Burrell rank for history?
Lower Burrell is more historic than 43% of U.S. towns, #821 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 Lower Burrell?
One place: the Allegheny River Lock and Dam No. 4 (listed 2000).
How old are the homes in Lower Burrell?
8% of Lower Burrell’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.5 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1962.
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 (1), 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) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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