What drives North Annville Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, North Annville Township is more historic than 59% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of North Annville 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 North Annville Township’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 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 (±7.0 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 North Annville 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 North Annville Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1892Hummelstown 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 North Annville Township.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds
Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Syner
1881–1903
Belle Grove
1887–1903
18801950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
BellegroveClear SpringSteelstownSynerUnion Water Works
10cemeteries and burying grounds inside North Annville Township
Bellegrove United Methodist ChurchDohner Mennonite ChurchFairlandGrand View Memorial ParkHill ChurchKauffmansMarkSaint Johns Evangelical Congregational ChurchSouth BellegroveWater Works United Methodist
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story
How North Annville Township came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of North Annville Township.
The first European settlers were German-Swiss Protestants, particularly Lutherans, who began clearing and farming the land in the early 18th century. Even today, most residents can trace their ancestry to one or more of those early settlers. The native Indian population was quickly driven north into the Appalachian Mountains, although conflicts between natives and settlers were recorded as late as 1756. This area was originally part of Lebanon Township of Lancaster County, then Annville Township of Lebanon County. North Annville became a separate township in 1845, and its borders have remained unchanged since then, except for the southern edge, which was incorporated into the township of Annville in 1912. The main industry has always been farming. Many of the farms, dairy and livestock, have passed from generation to generation for more than a hundred years. The countryside is dotted wi…
How does North Annville Township rank for history?
North Annville Township is more historic than 59% 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 North Annville Township?
30% of North Annville Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.0 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1964.
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 (8), 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.
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