Thornbury Township’s post office opened in 1831, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 65% of U.S. towns · #548 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Most of Thornbury Township was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1994. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1901 on, and the census since 1930.
From Thornbury Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers
How Thornbury Township began
When was Thornbury Township founded?
1831
The Thornbury Township post office opened in 1831, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Thornbury (1831), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 244 in 19302020 census: 3,177195 years
How historic is Thornbury Township?
B+
More historic than 65% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Thornbury Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Thornbury Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Thornbury Township is more historic than 65% of U.S. towns, #548 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Thornbury 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 Thornbury Township’s 12.6 sits above most of its state (79% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% 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 (±3.4 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Thornbury Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds
Another post office, Thornbury, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Thornbury
1831–1900
Westtown
1880–today
18301930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Brandywine at ThornburyBridlewood FarmDarlington CornersDeer PointeFair Acres FarmThornburyThornbury KnollWesttown
1cemetery inside Thornbury Township
Old Cheyney
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
On the map
Thornbury Township on the map, 1901 to 1996
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Thornbury Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1901West Chester 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 Thornbury Township.
Thornbury Township was organized in 1687 with the appointment of Hugh Durborrow as constable and received its name from Thornbury, in Gloucestershire, England. At the time, no more than five or six families lived within the limits of the township. George Peirce, one of the earliest and most influential inhabitants of the township, was married to a native of Thornbury, England, and the township was purportedly named to compliment her. Thornbury, Birmingham and Westtown townships are the only townships within the present limits of Chester County which were organized before 1704.
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.
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.
The Thornbury Township post office opened in 1831, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Thornbury Township rank for history?
Thornbury Township is more historic than 65% of U.S. towns, #548 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 Thornbury Township?
Two places: the William J. Barnard Residence (listed 1982) and the Squire Cheyney Farm (2010).
How old are the homes in Thornbury Township?
4% of Thornbury Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.4 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1994.
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, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.
2011
2011
