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Washington Boro, Pennsylvania (5655879386)Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
–Not graded
History · Washington Boro

Washington Boro’s post office opened in 1875, and 48% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1956 on.

1875first post office
0on the National Register
48%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answers

How Washington Boro began

When was Washington Boro founded?

1875

The Washington Boro post office opened in 1875, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 721151 years
Founding year: the first Washington Boro post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Washington Boro’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Washington Boro are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Washington Boro’s homes were built before 1942.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Washington Boro’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Washington Boro came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Washington Boro.

Read it all →

The French-Canadian fur trader Martin Chartier and his son Peter Chartier established a trading post near this area in 1718. A monument was erected on the spot in 1925 by the Pennsylvania Historical Commission and the Lancaster County Historical Society.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Washington Boro, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Washington Boro, Pennsylvania2011Washington Boro, PennsylvaniaWashington Boro, Pennsylvania2011Washington Boro, PennsylvaniaWashington Boro, Pennsylvania2011Washington Boro, PennsylvaniaWashington Boro, Pennsylvania2011Washington Boro, PennsylvaniaWashington Boro, Pennsylvania2011Washington Boro, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania State Route 4412011Pennsylvania State Route 441
On the map

Washington Boro on the map, 1956 to 1995

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Washington Boro. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Washington Boro on the 1956 USGS mapWashington Boro on the 1969 USGS mapWashington Boro on the 1976 USGS mapWashington Boro on the 1995 USGS map1956Columbia East sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Washington Boro.

Famous people

Famous people close to Washington Boro

Nobody well known was born in Washington Boro itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Simon CameronAmerican businessman and politician · b. 1799
L
Lilian WelshAmerican physician, educator, and suffragist · b. 1858
Wally WalkerAmerican basketball player · b. 1954
A
Amelia Reynolds LongAmerican novelist · b. 1904
K
K. T. KellerAmerican automotive executive and art collector… · b. 1885
M
Melissa Minnich ColemanAmerican architect · b. 1917

Questions about Washington Boro’s history

What year was Washington Boro founded?

The Washington Boro post office opened in 1875, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
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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 and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.