Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1861.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Rush Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Rush Township is more historic than 69% of U.S. towns, #486 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Rush 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 Rush Township’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (25% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1811.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±12.5 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 Rush Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
6cemeteries and burying grounds inside Rush Township
Bethany MethodistBrouse - Hauch FamilySaint Nicholas Orthodox CatholicSky View Memorial ParkSons of Jacob JewishWhite Church
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
On the map
Rush Township on the map, 1889 to 1995
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Rush Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1889Hazleton 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 Rush Township.
The township was incorporated in 1811 and is named after Judge Jacob Rush, younger brother of Benjamin Rush, a signer of the declaration of independence. Judge Rush was the judge of the third judicial district of Northampton County which included the area which would become Rush township prior to Schuylkill County's formation in 1811.
Rush township has been greatly reduced in size since 1811. Mahanoy Township split off in 1849, Ryan Township and East Union Township took sections of Rush in 1866. In 1873 Kline Township split off, and in 1882 Delano Township split off.
In 1811, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Rush Township’s post office opened in 1861.
How does Rush Township rank for history?
Rush Township is more historic than 69% of U.S. towns, #486 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.
How old are the homes in Rush Township?
29% of Rush Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±12.5 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1969.
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 (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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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