On its age, its old homes and the National Register, McDonald is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of McDonald’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 McDonald’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 C− to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±10.0 points). Two sources give 1865.
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 McDonald’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of McDonald yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
McDonald is a borough in Allegheny and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, 18 miles (29 km) west of Pittsburgh. The population was 2,056 at the 2020 census. Of this population, 1,661 were in Washington County, and 395 were in Allegheny County.
McDonald was established in 1865. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 2,149 to 2,060 (-4%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
People over time
McDonald, census by census
Peaked at 3,543 in 1950; 2,060 people lived here in 2020.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on McDonald’s Wikipedia page.
From the old history books
What they wrote about McDonald, 1882–1910
Passages that mention McDonald, cut from the printed page as they were published.
20th century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania1910 · page 906Read the page →
Read the text
Howell P. Williams was educated in the public schools and Ingleside Academy, at McDonald, and after his school days were over he became a clerk in the postoffice for his brother, David L., who had been appointed postmaster at McDonald in 1889. He continued as clerk there for six years and then embarked in the shoe business at McDonald, which he conducted for seven years, when he sold out and entered the employ
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
20th century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania1910 · page 923Read the page →
Read the text
ship, receiving his education in the district .schools and at Allegheny City, and was for some time engaged iu working on the farm. He subsequently engaged in the lumber business at McDonald for 12 years, when he became a resident of Washington, still continuing to operate his lumber business at McDonald for about five years. In 1904 he disposed of his lumbering interests at McDonald, and in 1906 became interested in the Grafton
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Washington County, Pennsylvania1882 · page 904Read the page →
Read the text
McDonald United Presbyterian Church.— About twenty-five persons gathered at the school-house in McDonald, Nov. 1, 1875, and united in a petition asking the Presbytery, who were to meet Dec. 1, 1875, to grant them an organization. The application and petition was granted. Application for a supply had been made to the Presbytery in September, previous to the above action, and S. AV. Cook was sent as a
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
McDonald, 1865 to 1958
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of McDonald. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1904Carnegie 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 McDonald.
Every building
McDonald, building by building, 1894–1915
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 1865, according to Wikidata. McDonald’s post office opened in 1872, and the census of 1880 counted 425 people here.
How does McDonald rank for history?
McDonald is more historic than 56% 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 McDonald?
62% of McDonald’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±10.0 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 (14), 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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