On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Nicholson Township is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns. All 2 inputs put Nicholson Township near the top nationally; its National Register listings ranks highest.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Nicholson 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 Nicholson Township’s 205 sits above most of its state (91% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 29 historic buildings outnumber those of 81% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.8 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Nicholson 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 Nicholson Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1900Masontown 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 Nicholson Township.
Nicholson Township was created in 1853 from portions of Springhill Township, German Township, and Georges Township, all of which are also located within Fayette County. Southern Nicholson Township is the location of an archaeological site, the Deffenbaugh Site. Once occupied by a Monongahela village, the site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The village of New Geneva was laid out by Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury during the Jefferson Administration. The New Geneva Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Nicholson Township is more historic than 97% 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 Nicholson Township?
One place: the New Geneva Historic District (listed 1996).
How old are the homes in Nicholson Township?
31% of Nicholson Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.8 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1962.
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), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
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