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A+History
History · Narberth

Narberth dates to 1682, and 70% of its homes were built before 1940

Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns · #24 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 51 buildings. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1952 on, and the census since 1900.

1682founded
1on the National Register
70%homes built before 1940
5old photos & papers
7famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Narberth’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Narberth began

When was Narberth founded?

1682

Narberth dates its founding to 1682 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 847 in 19002020 census: 4,492344 years

How historic is Narberth?

A+

Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1886.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Narberth’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Narberth is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #24 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs put Narberth near the top nationally; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest.

A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Narberth’s overall grade.
Founding era1682, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 194070.2% of homes (±8.3) · typical PA town 17.7% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register1 listing, 51 historic buildings, 113 per 10,000 residents · typical PA town 2.1 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Among the top 1%
NewerOlder
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,035)Ahead of 98%

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 Narberth’s 113 sits above most of its state (89% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 51 historic buildings outnumber those of 85% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1682.
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 (±8.3 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 Narberth’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Older than the countryEstablished in 1682, 94 years before the Declaration of Independence.A historic districtThe Narbrook Park Historic District takes in 51 historic buildings.Old housesHalf of Narberth’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · Timeline

Narberth, 1682 to 1992

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 17th century
  2. 1682
    FoundingNarberth is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1886Post officeThe Narberth post office opens
  5. 1894Born hereEleanor Mary Mellon is born here
  6. 20th century
  7. 1910In the archivePennsylvania Railroad : Locomotive PRR 3348
  8. 1917Born hereLaurence Lafore is born here
  9. 1923In the archiveNarberth PA Presby PHS394
  10. 1952Born hereJohn Hickenlooper is born here
  11. 1952On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  12. 1992Born hereKylie Kelce is born here
On the National Register

1 listing protects 51 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
51
each building in a district counts
first listed
2003
Narbrook Park Historic District
Narbrook Park Historic District
Districts

Architectural styles listings

Arts and Crafts1
Colonial Revival1
Narbrook Park Historic DistrictArts and Crafts

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Narberth came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Narberth.

Read it all →

Narberth is located on a parcel of land originally deeded to Edward Rees, which later became "Prees" and eventually "Price", who arrived from Wales in 1682. A portion of this original tract became the 100-acre (0.40 km2) farm of Edward R. Price, who founded Elm as a Quaker-friendly town in 1881. The town name changed to Narberth in 1893, and Narberth was incorporated in 1895. In 1995, the borough celebrated its 100th birthday with a year-long celebration.

The Narbrook Park Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Narberth, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1910s to the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1910s–1920s5 items
Pennsylvania Railroad : Locomotive PRR 33481910Pennsylvania Railroad : Locomotive PRR 3348Pennsylvania Railroad : Locomotive PRR 66211910Pennsylvania Railroad : Locomotive PRR 6621Pennsylvania Railroad : Locomotive PRR 16351910Pennsylvania Railroad : Locomotive PRR 1635Pennsylvania Railroad : Locomotive PRR 33201913Pennsylvania Railroad : Locomotive PRR 3320Narberth PA Presby PHS3941923Narberth PA Presby PHS394
1930s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
On the map

Narberth on the map, 1952 to 1992

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Narberth. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Narberth on the 1952 USGS mapNarberth on the 1966 USGS mapNarberth on the 1973 USGS mapNarberth on the 1983 USGS mapNarberth on the 1992 USGS map1952Norristown sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Narberth.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Pennsylvania Railroad : Locomotive PRR 3348
Retake this viewPennsylvania Railroad : Locomotive PRR 3348, 1910

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Narberth’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Narberth, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 5,407

Between 847 and 5,407 people in every census since 1900.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Narberth’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

7 famous people were born in Narberth

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
John HickenlooperAmerican politician, businessman, 42nd governor… · b. 1952
K
Kylie KelceAmerican social media personality · b. 1992
E
Eleanor Mary MellonAmerican artist, 1894- · b. 1894
L
Laurence LaforeAmerican historian · b. 1917
P
Pug SoutherlandRecipient of the Purple Heart medal · b. 1911
B
Beck Dorey-SteinFormer White Hoiuse Stenographer · b. 1986
Help out

Finish Narberth’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewPennsylvania Railroad : Locomotive PRR …: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Merion Station3 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townWynnewoodIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Narberth’s history

What year was Narberth founded?

In 1682, according to Wikidata. Narberth’s post office opened in 1886, and the census of 1900 counted 847 people here.

How does Narberth rank for history?

Narberth is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #24 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 Narberth?

One place: the Narbrook Park Historic District (listed 2003).

How old are the homes in Narberth?

70% of Narberth’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.3 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1938.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (4), 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.