Peters Township dates to 1781, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 52% of U.S. towns · #727 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Most of Peters Township was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1983. Its Register listing is the Enoch Wright House. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1904 on, and the census since 2000.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1843.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Peters Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Peters Township is more historic than 52% of U.S. towns, #727 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Peters Township’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 Peters Township’s 0.4 sits near the middle of its state (51% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1781.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share (±1.3 points) is firm at this size.
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 Peters Township’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 Peters Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1904Carnegie 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 Peters Township.
Peters Township was incorporated in 1781 as one of Washington County's thirteen original townships. It had fallen within the area claimed by Virginia as its Yohogania County before the resolution of that state's boundary dispute with Pennsylvania. Over the years, portions of Peters Township were sectioned off to form other municipalities; eventually, leaving the present configuration of 19.5 square miles (51 km2).
Peters Township was named after William "Indian" Peters. Peters, also known as "Mohawk Peter" may have been a Native American though this is uncertain.
Passages that mention Peters Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
20th century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania1910 · page 1321Read the page →
Read the text
Aaron T. Linn was practically reared on the farm in Peters Township, although nine years of his boyhood were spent on the present site of the Fair Grounds at Canonsburg, Pa. After his marriage he rented and located on a farm in Union Township, where he followed farming three years, then bought and located on his farm of 150 acres in Peters Township, which is now being farmed by his son, L. C. Linn. He spent one
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
Peters Township, 1781 to 1977
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.
In 1781, according to Wikidata. Peters Township’s post office opened in 1843, and the census of 2000 counted 17,566 people here.
How does Peters Township rank for history?
Peters Township is more historic than 52% of U.S. towns, #727 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 Peters Township?
One place: the Enoch Wright House (listed 2007).
How old are the homes in Peters Township?
4% of Peters Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.3 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1983.
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 (4), Wikidata (1), 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 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.
2018
2018
2013
