On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Olyphant is more historic than 48% of U.S. towns, #769 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Olyphant’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 Olyphant’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 any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to B. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.8 points). Two sources give 1850.
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 Olyphant’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 Olyphant. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1889Scranton 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 Olyphant.
People over time
Olyphant, census by census
Peaked at 10,743 in 1930; 5,383 people lived here in 2020.
16 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Olyphant’s Wikipedia page.
The story so far
Olyphant, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Olyphant yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Olyphant is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is six miles (10 km) northeast of downtown Scranton, on the Lackawanna River in the heart of the anthracite region of the state. Its main source of employment was the mining and shipping of coal. It was the headquarters of the Lackawanna Coal Company. Other industries of the past were the manufacturing of blasting powder, iron and steel goods, cigars, and silks. Olyphant experienced a severe downturn in the 1950s. There was once a thriving garment industry with numerous dress factories in the downtown area. There was also a slaughterhouse. Until 2018, the biggest industry was Cinram the manufacture of compact discs …
Olyphant was established in 1850. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 5,151 to 5,383 (+5%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Olyphant in 1928
Passages that mention Olyphant, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Jubilee history commemorative of the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania ..1928 · page 933Read the page →
Read the text
After attending the public schools of Olyphant, Patrick B. Dempsey entered the employ of the Delaware & Hudson Coal Company, remaining in the employ of this concern continuously from 1892 until 1906. He has since owned and operated the hotel in Olyphant, which was founded by his father.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Jubilee history commemorative of the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania ..1928 · page 1075Read the page →
Read the text
Mr. Flesher was employed in the coal mines of Lackawanna County for 14 years as a contract miner, later engaged in the hotel business at Olyphant, and for a number of years was interested in a wholesale liquor business. He has been a resident of Olyphant for the past 35 years, and since 1922 has engaged in the mercantile business here. Mr. Flesher
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
Olyphant, 1850 to 1937
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1850, according to Wikidata. Olyphant’s post office opened in 1868, and the census of 1870 counted 2,327 people here.
How does Olyphant rank for history?
Olyphant is more historic than 48% of U.S. towns, #769 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.
How old are the homes in Olyphant?
30% of Olyphant’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.8 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1958.
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), the Library of Congress (9), 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
2019
2019
2019
2019
2019
2019
2019
2019
2019
2019
2015
2015
2015
2015
2011
2011
2011
