Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1818.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Perryopolis’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Perryopolis is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Perryopolis’ 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 Perryopolis’ 26.2 sits above most of its state (83% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 4 listings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.9 points). Two sources give 1814.
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 Perryopolis’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
George Washington purchased 1,644 acres (6.65 km2) here when land first became available. He visited in 1770 and said, "as fine a land as I have ever seen, a great deal of rich meadow; it is well watered and has a valuable mill seat." The mill would eventually be completed in 1776. Once the mill was finished, it encouraged other business to come to the area to support and augment the business of the mill.
Passages that mention Perryopolis, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania1882 · page 709Read the page →
Read the text
house which was the headquarters of the operations carried on by Simpson for the proprietor. The mill was built on the run, in the immediate vicinity of the present village of Perryopolis. From the time of its completion until the present (with the exception of a few years prior to 1790) a mill has been in constant operation on this site.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the great tide of emigration and traffic that was already forcing its way over the mountains. He again traversed the old Braddock road and arrived at Gilbert Simpson's, in the vicinity of the present village of Perryopolis, on September 13. Here he visited his mill that had been constructed under the superintendency of Gilbert Simpson and set in operation in the spring of 1776, and is still standing as a monument to the enterprise and forethought of Washington. Here he met many of the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
height from the Youghiogheny, then slopes back to what are called Washington Bottoms, which are drained by Washington Run. Where the village of Perryopolis is located is a moderate elevation of land, which from there has a gradual descent in all directions. This section is excellently adapted for the production of grain and grass, and nearly the whole township, particularly that part southwest of the
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.
Perryopolis’s post office has been open since 1818.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Lynn
1cemetery inside Perryopolis
Blacksmith Cemetery Number 6
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Perryopolis’ history
What year was Perryopolis founded?
In 1814, according to Wikidata. Perryopolis’ post office opened in 1818, and the census of 1880 counted 321 people here.
How does Perryopolis rank for history?
Perryopolis is more historic than 89% 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.
What is on the National Register in Perryopolis?
4 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Searight's Fulling Mill (listed 1973, the first).
How old are the homes in Perryopolis?
25% of Perryopolis’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.9 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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (4), 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 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.
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