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Pen Argyl BlockPhoto: Nicholas A. Tonelli · CC BY 2.0
B+History
History · Pen Argyl

Pen Argyl’s post office opened in 1876, and 68% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 74% of U.S. towns · #421 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it

Its Register listing is the Weona Park Carousel. Below: 7 old photos and papers, maps from 1912 on, and the census since 1880.

1876first post office
1on the National Register
68%homes built before 1940
7old photos & papers
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Pen Argyl’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Pen Argyl began

When was Pen Argyl founded?

1876

The Pen Argyl post office opened in 1876, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1882.

First census: 572 in 18802020 census: 3,510150 years

How historic is Pen Argyl?

B+

More historic than 74% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Pen Argyl post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1882.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Pen Argyl’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Pen Argyl is more historic than 74% of U.S. towns, #421 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Pen Argyl’s overall grade.
Founding era1876, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194068.4% of homes (±10.4) · typical PA town 17.7% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register1 listing, 2.9 per 10,000 residents · typical PA town 2.1 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 74%
NewerOlder
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,035)Ahead of 59%

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 Pen Argyl’s 2.9 sits near the middle of its state (61% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±10.4 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1882 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.

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 Pen Argyl’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Old housesHalf of Pen Argyl’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · The story

How Pen Argyl came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Pen Argyl.

Read it all →

In 1853, Joseph Kellow discovered slate in the surrounding area, coining what is now known as the Slate Belt community. The name Pen Argyl originated from the Cornish name meaning "head" and the Anglo-Saxon name of Slate Rock, meaning "argylite". With the surge of quarrymen from Cornwall and England, the town expanded. Today, there is still one slate quarry in operation. Pen Argyl was once home to Lehigh and New England Railroad’s main freight yard and maintenance complex. The railroad’s roundhouse and shop building still stand just west of town along Pennsylvania Ave.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Pen Argyl in 1920

Passages that mention Pen Argyl, cut from the printed page as they were published.

Pen Argyl — The village of Pen Argyl was founded in the town of Plainfield in 1868, by Welsh laborers employed by the Pennsylvania Slate Compan}', who owned quarries in the vicinity. It was incorporated as a borough in 1882, and at the first election Richard Jackson was chosen chief burgess and Iza…
History of Northampton County [Pennsylvania] and the grand valley of the Lehigh under supervision and revision of William J. Heller, assisted by an advisory board of editors..1920 · page 522Read the page →
Read the text

Pen Argyl — The village of Pen Argyl was founded in the town of Plainfield in 1868, by Welsh laborers employed by the Pennsylvania Slate Compan}', who owned quarries in the vicinity. It was incorporated as a borough in 1882, and at the first election Richard Jackson was chosen chief burgess and Izariah Martin, clerk. At the time of the United States census of 1890, there were 2,100 inhabitants in the borough. The year 1885 saw the establishment of two churches ; one, known at the present time as the Bethany Evangelical Church, was dedicated August 24, 1885, and in the preceding

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Belvidere, February 9, 1839, and there attended the public schools. He finished his studies at Blair Hall, Blairstown, New Jerse\', and then entered mercantile life as clerk, holding positions in New York City, Richmond, and other i)laces. In 1889 he established in business for himself at Pen Argyl…
History of Northampton County [Pennsylvania] and the grand valley of the Lehigh under supervision and revision of William J. Heller, assisted by an advisory board of editors..1920 · page 294Read the page →
Read the text

Belvidere, February 9, 1839, and there attended the public schools. He finished his studies at Blair Hall, Blairstown, New Jerse\', and then entered mercantile life as clerk, holding positions in New York City, Richmond, and other i)laces. In 1889 he established in business for himself at Pen Argyl, Northampton county, Pennsylvania, twenty-seven miles from Bethlehem, his line, clothing and men's furnishings. In Pen Argyl he acquired other important interests, among those to which he was most devoted being the First National Bank of Pen Argyl, of which he was one of the organizers in 1890

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

Pen Argyl, 1876 to 1949

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1876Post officeThe Pen Argyl post office opens
  3. 1894In the archivePen Argyl, Pennsylvania 1894
  4. 20th century
  5. 1904In the archive51963.BB#001--Cost Estimate of coal pockets for the Bangor Slate Mining Company--Excelsio…
  6. 1907Born hereWalt Masters is born here
  7. 1910In the archive51978.BA#001--Estimate of cost for the Slate Belt Electric Street Railway Company--Pen Ar…
  8. 1934Born hereJames F. Jones, Jr. is born here
  9. 1943On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 1949Born hereTighe Scott is born here
By decade

Pen Argyl, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1890s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s–1910s7 items
Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania 18941894Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania 189451963.BB#001--Cost Estimate of coal pockets for the Bangor Slate Mining Company--Excelsior Junction--Pen Argly, PA [190…190451963.BB#001--Cost Estimate of coal pockets for the B…51992.BB#001--Cost estimate--Proposed siding to Parson Brothers Quarry--Pen Argyl Junction, PA [1909.07.20]190951992.BB#001--Cost estimate--Proposed siding to Parso…51995.BB#001--Proposed line--Jackson-Bangor Slate Quarries--Pen Argyl, PA [1909.11.04]190951995.BB#001--Proposed line--Jackson-Bangor Slate Qua…51978.BA#001--Estimate of cost for the Slate Belt Electric Street Railway Company--Pen Argyl, PA [1910.07.06]191051978.BA#001--Estimate of cost for the Slate Belt Ele…Aero view of Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania 19161916Aero view of Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania 1916Aero view of Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania 19161916Aero view of Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania 1916
1920s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Today5 recent
Flickr - Nicholas T - October Snow (2)2011Flickr - Nicholas T - October Snow (2)Flickr - Nicholas T - October Snow (1)2011Flickr - Nicholas T - October Snow (1)Flickr - Nicholas T - After the Storm2011Flickr - Nicholas T - After the StormPen Argyl Trails2009Pen Argyl TrailsPen Argyl2008Pen Argyl
On the map

Pen Argyl on the map, 1943 to 1997

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Pen Argyl. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Pen Argyl on the 1943 USGS mapPen Argyl on the 1960 USGS mapPen Argyl on the 1970 USGS mapPen Argyl on the 1997 USGS map1943Wind Gap 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 Pen Argyl.

Every building

Pen Argyl, building by building, 1912

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 sheet.

Pen Argyl fire insurance map, 1912, sheet 11912Sheet 1 of 8
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania 1894
Retake this viewPen Argyl, Pennsylvania 1894, 1894

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Pen Argyl’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Pen Argyl

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1999
Weona Park Carousel
Weona Park Carousel
Structures

Architectural styles listings

Stationary Menagerie Carousel1
Weona Park CarouselStationary Menagerie Carousel

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Pen Argyl, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,50018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 4,310

Between 572 and 4,310 people in every census since 1880.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Pen Argyl’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Pen Argyl

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
W
Walt MastersAmerican baseball player and gridiron football … · b. 1907
J
James F. Jones, Jr.American politician · b. 1934
Tighe ScottAmerican racing driver · b. 1949
Help out

Finish Pen Argyl’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewPen Argyl, Pennsylvania 1894: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Pen Argyl’s history

What year was Pen Argyl founded?

The Pen Argyl post office opened in 1876, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1882.

How does Pen Argyl rank for history?

Pen Argyl is more historic than 74% of U.S. towns, #421 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 Pen Argyl?

One place: the Weona Park Carousel (listed 1999).

How old are the homes in Pen Argyl?

68% of Pen Argyl’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±10.4 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1938.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (12), 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.