Scottdale dates to 1872, and 41% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 88% of U.S. towns · #216 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 242 buildings. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1880.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1873.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Scottdale’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Scottdale is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #216 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Scottdale’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 Scottdale’s 557 sits above most of its state (94% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 243 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% of U.S. towns.
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 (±6.5 points). Two sources give 1872.
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 Scottdale’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1884Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
It is difficult to identify when the first non-Native settler arrived in what is now the Borough of Scottdale, although the area witnessed an influx of Scotch-Irish immigrants in the late 1770s. In the mid-19th century, part of the present-day townsite was the location of a distillery, flour mill and post office known as Fountain Mills.
Passages that mention Scottdale, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania1906 · page 126Read the page →
Read the text
In 1889 he migrated to Chicago and while there engaged in business on his own account as a dealer in housefurnishing goods. He took one of his brothers into partnership and together they conducted the business for five years. At the end of that time he sold out and went to Scottdale, where he again became a clerk for the Frick Coke Company, remaining with them until 1900, when he accepted the position of teller in the Frist National Bank of Scottdale. The ]30- sion he held until 1904, when he resigned and went to Mount Pleasant in order to become proprietor of the Cooper House. He caused the establishment to be
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania1906Read the page →
Read the text
He settled for a short time in Pittsburg, and in the autumn of 1873 went to Scottdale where he entered the service of the Charlotte Furnace Company with whom he remained two years. He was then employed for six months at th Lamont furnace, after which he returned to Scottdale and worked steadily at the furnace for eight or nine years. His next enterprise was the purchase of the confectionery and fruit business which was carried on by his father-in-law in Scottdale. This business he conducted for two years, and at the end of that time sold out and took the position of manager in the general store of J. B.
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
Scottdale, 1872 to 1959
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 1872, according to Wikidata. Scottdale’s post office opened in 1873, and the census of 1880 counted 1,275 people here.
How does Scottdale rank for history?
Scottdale is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #216 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 Scottdale?
Two places: the Scottdale Armory (listed 1991) and the Scottdale Historic District (1996).
How old are the homes in Scottdale?
41% of Scottdale’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.5 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1946.
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), the Library of Congress (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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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