Newville dates to 1794, and 72% of its homes were built before 1940
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 414 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1919 on, and the census since 1820.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1809.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Newville’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Newville is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Newville’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 Newville’s 3,227 sits above most of its state (100% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 414 historic buildings outnumber those of 96% of U.S. towns.
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 (±7.2 points). Two sources give 1794.
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 Newville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Newville (New Village) was founded in 1790 when the Big Spring Presbyterian church laid out the town on their land and sold the lots. The first lots were sold to Samuel Finley, Hugh Holmes, William McElwain, Robert and David Officer, Isaac Jamison, and William McMonnagle. The town remained a part of Allemstraf Township until 1817 when it was granted a charter as a borough. In 1837 the Cumberland Valley Railroad came through the area, and in 1874 the borough was extended to the south to include the homes and businesses that had grown up along the railroad.
The Newville Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Newville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1919Newville 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 Newville.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Newville in 1848
Passages that mention Newville, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania 18481848 · page 440Read the page →
Read the text
head, then residing, as I believe, in Donegal township, J.ancaster county. Soon after these jcongregations were organized, in what is now Cumberland and Franklin; viz: one in the lower settlement near Carlisle, one at Big Spring near Newville, and one in the Conegccheague settlement. Thomas Craighead preached at Big Spring. When divine service was first held, the settlers went with their guns to hear preaching. These defensives were then deemed necessary to deter the Indians from attacking them. However, the peaceful dis-
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
Newville, 1794 to 1923
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.
In 1794, according to Wikidata. Newville’s post office opened in 1809, and the census of 1820 counted 412 people here.
How does Newville rank for history?
Newville is among the most historic 1% 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.
What is on the National Register in Newville?
One place: the Newville Historic District (listed 2010).
How old are the homes in Newville?
72% of Newville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.2 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 (4), the Library of Congress (2), 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), 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.
1903
1910
1923