Strasburg dates to 1733, and 25% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 98% of U.S. towns · #66 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 206 buildings. Below: 7 old photos and papers, maps from 1912 on, and the census since 1840.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1804.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Strasburg’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Strasburg is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #66 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 Strasburg’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 Strasburg’s 663 sits above most of its state (95% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 206 historic buildings outnumber those of 93% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1733.
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 (±9.4 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 Strasburg’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The Old Conestoga Road was in use by 1714, and by 1750 a tavern and some log houses were built near the current site of Strasburg. The community grew as regional trade with Philadelphia grew. By 1759, there were 32 taxable properties in the town, including about ten hotels. Many early settlers were Huguenots or Swiss or German Mennonites, and several church congregations of various faiths formed during the 1760s. The first church was built in 1807 by Methodists.
Passages that mention Strasburg, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania1883Read the page →
Read the text
railroad depot, machine-shop, and ])hining-n)ill, hut did not rebuild the merchant flouring-niill. j Unfortunately for the business interests of the comj nuinity, and the town of Strasburg in particular, the , firm never recovered from their loss, and the finan- ' cial crash and business depression of 1873 coming so closely upon the heels of their disaster, the firm were compelled to make an assignment in April, 1875, to
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania1883Read the page →
Read the text
Strasburg, too, has its railroad, connecting it with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Leaman Place. The charter for this road was procured about the year 1832, and work was commenced upon it, but about the time the grading was finished the funds became e.Khausted and the entcrjirise seemed about to fail ; but after yeara of waiting and hoping new life was infused in"tu the enterprise, and the road was com-
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
Strasburg, decade by decade
4 decades in the archive, from the 1850s to the 1930s. 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.
In 1733, according to Wikidata. Strasburg’s post office opened in 1804, and the census of 1840 counted 445 people here.
How does Strasburg rank for history?
Strasburg is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #66 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 Strasburg?
One place: the Strasburg Historic District (listed 1983).
How old are the homes in Strasburg?
25% of Strasburg’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.4 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1976.
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 (18), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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 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.
![railroad depot, machine-shop, and ])hining-n)ill, hut did not rebuild the merchant flouring-niill. j Unfortunately for the business interests of the comj nuinity, and the town of Strasburg in particular, the , firm never recovered from their loss, and the finan- ' cial crash and business depression…](https://images.townratings.com/story/15129/bk-33166cc32990980b-l.jpg)
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