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Church Street houses in SummervillePhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
–Not graded
History · Summerville

Summerville dates to 1812, and 45% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 1 old photo or paper from 1923 on.

1812founded
0on the National Register
45%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Summerville’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Summerville began, and where its name came from

When was Summerville founded?

1812

Summerville dates its founding to 1812 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1839.

2020 census: 504214 years

How did Summerville get its name?

Summerville was named after Summers Baldwin, the first settler in the area.

Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1839. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Summerville’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Summerville’s homes were built before 1942.Deep rootsEstablished in 1812: 214 years of Summerville.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Summerville’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Summerville’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewSummerville PA Presby PHS584: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Summerville came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Summerville.

Read it all →

It was named after Summers Baldwin, the first settler in the area. It was formerly known as "Troy". The borough was incorporated in 1887.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Summerville, 1812 to 1923

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1812
    FoundingSummerville is established
  3. 1839Post officeThe Summerville post office opens
  4. 1852Born hereSummers Melville Jack is born here
  5. 1859Born hereNathan Leroy Strong is born here
  6. 1888Born hereEd Klepfer is born here
  7. 20th century
  8. 1923In the archiveSummerville PA Presby PHS584
By decade

Summerville, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1920s1 item
Summerville PA Presby PHS5841923Summerville PA Presby PHS584
1930s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Today5 recent
Houses and Presbyterian church in2015Houses and Presbyterian church inChurch Street houses in2015Church Street houses inPennsylvania State Route 282012Pennsylvania State Route 28Pennsylvania State Route 282012Pennsylvania State Route 28LibrarysignIMG 03102007LibrarysignIMG 0310
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Summerville PA Presby PHS584
Retake this viewSummerville PA Presby PHS584, 1923

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Summerville’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

3 famous people were born in Summerville

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Nathan Leroy StrongAmerican politician · b. 1859
Summers Melville JackAmerican politician · b. 1852
Ed KlepferAmerican baseball player · b. 1888
Places that used to be

Old corners

Summerville’s post office has been open since 1839.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Troy

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Summerville’s history

What year was Summerville founded?

In 1812, according to Wikidata. Summerville’s post office opened in 1839.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.