On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Moscow is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Moscow’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 Moscow’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 (±5.8 points). Two sources give 1830.
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 Moscow’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 Moscow yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Moscow is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,039 at the 2020 census. It is located 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Scranton and 24 miles (39 km) southwest of Honesdale.
Moscow was established in 1830. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 2,026 in 2010, 2,039 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Moscow in 1928
Passages that mention Moscow, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Jubilee history commemorative of the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania ..1928 · page 1138Read the page →
Read the text
finest small farms in this section, which he operated until 1897. He has since engaged in the general mercantile business at Daleville, having purchased the general store of David Dale. He also deals in real estate at Moscow and Gouldsboro. He was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Moscow, and is a director of same. Mr. Cobley built the macadam road between Moscow and Gouldsboro, which was the first road of its kind to be built in the Pocono Mountains. He is also associated in business with Joseph E. Loveland, of Moscow.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Jubilee history commemorative of the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania ..1928 · page 763Read the page →
Read the text
John W. Scanlon has always lived at Moscow. He attended the public schools and in 1879 entered the employ of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad as a laborer. Later he worked as a brakeman between Hallstead, Pa., and Port Morris, N. J. He then learned telegraphy and for many years has been in that branch of the company’s work, now being operator at Moscow.
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.
By decade
Moscow, decade by decade
2 decades in the archive, from the 1890s to the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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 1830, according to Wikidata. Moscow’s post office opened in 1851, and the census of 1880 counted 320 people here.
How does Moscow rank for history?
Moscow is more historic than 54% 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 Moscow?
14% of Moscow’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.8 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1981.
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), 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.
1891
2011
2011
2009
