Its Register listings are the Stewartstown Engine House, Stewartstown Railroad and the Stewartstown Railroad Station. Below: 1 old photo or paper from 1884 on and old-book passages.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1832.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Stewartstown’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Stewartstown is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Stewartstown’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 Stewartstown’s 11.4 sits above most of its state (78% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1767.
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 (±7.1 points).
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 Stewartstown’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
There were settlers in the Stewartstown area as early as 1750. This part of southern York County was claimed by both Maryland and Pennsylvania, and the boundary dispute was settled by the surveying of the Mason–Dixon line in 1767.
By 1777, a road had been well established between York and Baltimore, and Stewartstown's main street of today lies along a portion of the road. Around 1812, a group of farmers set out to establish a town in south central Hopewell Township. The earliest buildings were several houses, a workshop for making furniture and wheels, a store, and a tavern. Anthony Stewart, owner of the workshop, served as the village clerk, and his shop became the main meeting place.
Passages that mention Stewartstown, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of York County Pennsylvania From the Earliest Time to the Present1886Read the page →
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thony Stewart, postmaster. He was commissioned December 19, 1828. Some time before 1840, the name of the office was changed to Stewartstown. The village was incorporated by act of the legislature, March 29, 1851, as the "Borough of Mechanicsburg." This displeased Anthony Stewart, who secured the passage of a supplementary act, February 24,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of York County, Pennsylvania1886 · page 752Read the page →
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thony Stewart, postmaster. He was commissioned December 19, 1828. Some time before 1840, the name of the office was changed to Stewartstown. The village was incorporated by act of the legislature, March 29, 1851, as the "Borough of Mechanicsburg." This displeased Anthony Stewart, who secured the passage of a supplementary act, February 24,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of York County Pennsylvania1907 · page 470Read the page →
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Not only was Mr. Fulton a successful and progressive merchant, but he was prominent in other concerns of Stewartstown, having been one of the organizers and president of the Stewartstown Bank, holding the latter office at the time of his demise; he was a stockholder and director of the National Bank of York, Pa., and a charter member and president of the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of York County Pennsylvania1907 · page 797Read the page →
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fell heir to 108 acres of the homestead, and he lived there, farming with much success, until 1888. He then moved to Stewartstown and ran a temperance hotel for three years, during the period of the construction of the Stewartstown railroad. Then lie returned to his farm which he sold two and a half years later. For two years he resided with
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.
By decade
Stewartstown, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Questions about Stewartstown’s history
What year was Stewartstown founded?
In 1767, according to Wikidata. Stewartstown’s post office opened in 1832.
How does Stewartstown rank for history?
Stewartstown is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns. 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 Stewartstown?
Two places: the Stewartstown Engine House, Stewartstown Railroad (listed 1995) and the Stewartstown Railroad Station (1995).
How old are the homes in Stewartstown?
27% of Stewartstown’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.1 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1990.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
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