On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Upper Paxton Township is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #336 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 Upper Paxton 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 Upper Paxton Township’s 2.5 sits near the middle of its state (59% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
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 (±9.6 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Upper Paxton Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
7cemeteries and burying grounds inside Upper Paxton Township
Free Grace Brethren in Christ ChurchOak HillRickard MemorialSaint Davids Reformed ChurchSalem LutheranWest Lykens ValleyZion Lutheran Church
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
On the map
Upper Paxton Township on the map, 1893 to 1999
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Upper Paxton Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1893Millersburg 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 Upper Paxton Township.
The story
How Upper Paxton Township came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Upper Paxton Township.
The Paxtang Township of Lancaster County was established in 1729. The spelling "Paxtang" is from the original Indian name Peshtank, which meant "standing water". The word "Paxton" is used today instead of Paxtang.
Paxton Township was divided several times. Hanover Township was separated off Paxton Township in 1736, and in 1767, the remainder of the township was split into Upper Paxton Township and Lower Paxton Township.
Upper Paxton Township is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #336 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 Upper Paxton Township?
One place: the Millersburg Ferry (listed 2006).
How old are the homes in Upper Paxton Township?
26% of Upper Paxton Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.6 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1975.
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 the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, 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.
