Palmerton’s post office opened in 1900, and 43% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 80% of U.S. towns · #325 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 1,210 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1912 on, and the census since 1920.
The Palmerton post office opened in 1900, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Towamensing (1818), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 7,168 in 19202020 census: 5,593126 years
How historic is Palmerton?
A−
More historic than 80% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Palmerton post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Palmerton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Palmerton is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #325 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Palmerton’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 Palmerton’s 2,152 sits above most of its state (99% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 1,210 historic buildings outnumber those of 99% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.9 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Palmerton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Native Americans lived in the area that is now Palmerton for many years. Early European settlers established the villages of Hazard and Little Gap, which were part of Lower Towamensing Township. There was also an Underground Railroad station there. Palmerton was officially incorporated in 1912.
In 1912, the New Jersey Zinc Company located a Zinc smelting operation (now the West Plant) here, in order to take advantage of the anthracite coal being mined just north of Palmerton and the zinc mines in Franklin, New Jersey. The town was named after New Jersey Zinc's then-president, Stephen S. Palmer, though Palmer was reportedly not pleased with having his name on the town.
Palmerton 's post-office was established in 1900. Prior to that date the office was located at Lehigh Gap. During 1911, the postal savings system of the government was extended to this place.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Palmerton 's post-office was established in 1900. Prior to that date the office was located at Lehigh Gap. During 1911, the postal savings system of the government was extended to this place.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
business on his own account, opening a general store at Lehigh Gap, which he conducted for a number of years. Later he bought a farm, situated where the town of Palmerton now stands. In addition to his interest in this farm Mr. Gruber for a time conducted a meat market at Bethlehem, where he then lived. Returning to Lower Towamensing township in 1901, he took up his residence on the farm, and opened Green-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Palmerton 's post-office was established in 1900. Prior to that date the office was located at Lehigh Gap. During 1911, the postal savings system of the government was extended to this place.
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
Palmerton, 1818 to 1969
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.
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.
The Palmerton post office opened in 1900, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Palmerton rank for history?
Palmerton is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #325 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.
What is on the National Register in Palmerton?
One place: the Palmerton Historic District (listed 2018).
How old are the homes in Palmerton?
43% of Palmerton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.9 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1947.
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 (6), 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, 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.
1850
1917