Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns · #44 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 517 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1850.
Oxford dates its founding to 1775 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1850.
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Oxford is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #44 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
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 Oxford’s 889 sits above most of its state (97% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 518 historic buildings outnumber those of 97% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
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.
1886Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Oxford. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Oxford.
From Wikipedia’s history of Oxford.
The borough was once called Oxford Crossing and Oxford Village during the 1700s.
In 1805, the Oxford post office was established. In 1833, Oxford was officially incorporated as a borough. Its first burgess (now called the mayor) was Thomas Alexander, who operated a general store thought to be the oldest building in Oxford.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Oxford, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Fallowfield, and West Fallowfield, the elections to be held at the house of James Hollis, in East Fallowfield (now Humphrey ville). The Fifth District comprised East Nottingham, West Nottingham, Upper Oxford, and Lower Oxford, the elections to be held at the house of Samuel Hood, on or near the line between the townships of Oxford and Nottingham (now borough of Oxford) ; the Sixth District comprised East Nantmeal, Coventry, and Vincent, the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The borough of Oxford was incorporated by act of Assembly of April 8, 1833. It was taken partly from Lower Oxford, but principally from East Nottingham. A few years since it was enlarged by decree of court.
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereJohn Miller Dickey is born here
Born hereEvan Pugh is born here
In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - Pennsylvania - Chester County - ED 15-56,…
In the archiveIntersection of Market St (Bottom Right) 3rd Street, (Center) and Pine St (Center Left) O…
In the archiveCenter Restaurant and Bus Terminal
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
In the archiveBirds eye view of Oxford, Chester Co., Pennsylvania
In the archiveOxford PA 1st Presby PHS4385 decades in the archive, from the 1850s to the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Oxford’s page.
Retake this view · +15Grew from 186 people in 1850 to 5,736 in 2020, more than tenfold.
18 censuses, 1850–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Oxford’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1775, according to Wikidata. Oxford’s post office opened in 1805, and the census of 1850 counted 186 people here.
Oxford is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #44 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.
Two places: the Oxford Hotel (listed 1994) and the Oxford Historic District (2007).
26% of Oxford’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.8 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1980.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (5), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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, 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.
1923