Potter Township dates to 1764, and 15% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 92% of U.S. towns · #156 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
6 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 9 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1924 on, and the census since 2000.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1811.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Potter Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Potter Township is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #156 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Potter 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 Potter Township’s 47.5 sits above most of its state (86% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 17 historic buildings outnumber those of 79% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1764.
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 (±5.7 points).
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Potter Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first inhabitants of Potter Township came towards the end of the last glacial period. They lived a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle for thousands of years. The Delaware, Iroquois, Mingo, and Shawnee were among the native inhabitants who began establishing settlements, farms, and trails throughout the surrounding valleys and water gaps.
Many of the trails paved by Native Americans are now major roads and highways, including the Kishacoquillas Path, named after a Shawnee chief. The path traversed from present-day Milesburg to Lewistown passing through Old Fort, Potter Mills, and over the Seven Mountains. The path is now Pennsylvania Route 144.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Potter Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1924Centre Hall 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 Potter Township.
On the National Register
6 historic places in Potter Township
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
In 1764, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Potter Township’s post office opened in 1811, and the census of 2000 counted 3,339 people here.
How does Potter Township rank for history?
Potter Township is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #156 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 Potter Township?
6 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Maj. John Neff Homestead (listed 1977, the first), and 1 historic district, the Potter-Allison Farm, with 9 contributing buildings. 17 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Potter Township?
15% of Potter Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.7 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1986.
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 (7), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (6), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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