Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1848.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Newport Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Newport Township is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #57 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Newport Township’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 Newport Township’s 13.4 sits above most of its state (80% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 6 historic buildings outnumber those of 72% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.9 points). Two sources give 1772.
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 Newport Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Newport Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1894Shickshinny 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 Newport Township.
Newport was incorporated as a township in 1790. It is one of the original townships in Luzerne County. The municipality derives its name from Newport, Rhode Island. The first settlement in modern-day Newport Township was established by Major Prince Alden in 1772. A few years later, his sons (Mason and John) erected a forge on Nanticoke Creek. One of the first stores in the territory was established by Jacob Ramback; it was constructed on a road between Wanamie and Nanticoke.
In 1772, according to Wikidata. Newport Township’s post office opened in 1848, and the census of 2000 counted 5,006 people here.
How does Newport Township rank for history?
Newport Township is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #57 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 Newport Township?
One place: the St. Stanislaus Institute (listed 2008).
How old are the homes in Newport Township?
50% of Newport Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.9 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 the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, 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.
