1 of Ross Township’s places is on the National Register
More historic than 54% of U.S. towns · #698 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Most of Ross Township was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1984. Below: maps from 1914 on and the census since 2000.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ross Township is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns, #698 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Ross 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 Ross Township’s 7.3 sits above most of its state (73% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.9 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Ross Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds
Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Saylorsburg
1837–today
Rossland
1852–1904
Rosscommon
1864–1875
18301930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Ross CommonRosslandSaylorsburg
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Ross Township
Lake ViewMount Eaton
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
On the map
Ross Township on the map, 1914 to 1999
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ross Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1914Wind 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 Ross Township.
Ross Common Manor was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
On August 5, 2013, three people were killed, and at least three were in critical condition in a shooting at a township supervisors' monthly meeting after 7:30 p.m. EDT at the Ross Township building. The gunman, 59-year-old Rockne Newell, was tackled by West End Open Space Commission executive director, Bernie Kozen, and Newell was shot with his own gun. He was taken to the hospital and released into police custody. Newell approached the building armed with a long gun and opened fire through the windows. Up to 18 people were inside at the time.
Ross Township is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns, #698 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 Ross Township?
One place: the Ross Common Manor (listed 1978).
How old are the homes in Ross Township?
6% of Ross Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.9 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1984.
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 (5), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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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