Upland dates to 1643, and 47% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 98% of U.S. towns · #58 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
5 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 9 buildings. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1894 on, and the census since 1870.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Upland is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #58 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Upland’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 Upland’s 58.9 sits above most of its state (86% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 18 historic buildings outnumber those of 79% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1643.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±16.9 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 Upland’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first European settlers in this area were from the Swedish colony of New Sweden. They arrived in the area in 1643 and built a permanent settlement at Tinicum Island. Although the name literally means "up land", it also reflects the Swedish province of Uppland.
The settlement of Upland was built around the point where Chester Creek flows into the Delaware River, which is part of the city of Chester, formerly also called "Upland". The colonists had plantations devoted to the cultivation of tobacco for export to Sweden. Upland was reflected on the early map of New Sweden made by Peter Lindstrom in 1654.
Passages that mention Upland, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Delaware county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the territory included within its limits to the present time, with a notice of the geology of the county, and catalogues of its minerals, plants, quadrupeds, and birds1862 · page 515Read the page →
Read the text
chase land from the natives, in the year 1677. Before the close of that year, his name appears in the records of Upland Court as a resident and taxable of Upland district. He made his settlement on the west side of Chester Creek, above the present manufacturing village of Upland, and called it
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Delaware county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the territory included within its limits to the present time, with a notice of the geology of the county, and catalogues of its minerals, plants, quadrupeds, and birds1862 · page 569Read the page →
Read the text
Court, messenger asked for, 72 ; of assizes, how composed, 90 ; established by Gov. Lovelace, 90; special, held at New Castle, 102; of Upland, levies a tax, 112, 119; Justices of Upland, commissioned, 105 ; earlier than Upland, held, 107 ; character and jurisdiction of Upland, 105, 125,
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
Upland, decade by decade
2 decades in the archive, from the 1870s to 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.
In 1643, according to Wikidata. the census of 1870 counted 1,341 people here.
How does Upland rank for history?
Upland is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #58 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 Upland?
5 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Caleb Pusey House (listed 1971, the first), and 1 historic district, the Pusey-Crozier Mill Historic District, with 9 contributing buildings. 18 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Upland?
47% of Upland’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±16.9 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 (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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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