Washington dates to 1768, and 48% of its homes were built before 1940
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns · #24 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
10 places in town are on the National Register, among them 2 National Historic Landmarks and a historic district with 105 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1810.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1794.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Washington’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Washington is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #24 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs put Washington near the top nationally; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Washington’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 Washington’s 86.8 sits above most of its state (88% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 116 historic buildings outnumber those of 90% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1768.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.2 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 Washington’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Every building
Washington, building by building, 1886–1914
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
The French labeled the area "Wissameking", meaning "catfish place", as early as 1757.
The area of Washington was settled by many immigrants from Scotland and the north of Ireland along with settlers from eastern and central parts of the Colony of Virginia, first settled around 1768.
The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed an act on March 28, 1781, establishing the County of Washington and naming "Catfish Camp" as the place for holding the first election.
Passages that mention Washington, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Centennial History of the City of Washington, D. C. With Full Outline of the Natural Advantages, Accounts of the Indian Tribes, Selection of the Site, Founding of the City ... to the Present Time1892 · page 285Read the page →
Centennial History of the City of Washington, D. C. With Full Outline of the Natural Advantages, Accounts of the Indian Tribes, Selection of the Site, Founding of the City ... to the Present Time1892 · page 641Read the page →
Read the text
Upon the recommendation of Lieutenant Oilliss, who was appointed by the Secretary of the Navy to prepare plans for the construction of the depot of charts provided for by this law, Reservation No. 4, as marked on the original plan of the city of Washington, was selected by President Tyler as the site of the proposed observatory. This reservation had been designated by President Washington in a letter written by him October 21, 1790, to the commissioners to hiy out the city of Washington, as the site of a scientific institution,
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.
Timeline
Washington, 1768 to 1997
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born 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.
In 1768, according to Wikidata. Washington’s post office opened in 1794, and the census of 1810 counted 1,301 people here.
How does Washington rank for history?
Washington is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #24 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 Washington?
10 listings, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks: 9 buildings, among them the David Bradford House (a National Historic Landmark since 1983), and 1 historic district, the Washington Commercial Historic District, with 105 contributing buildings. 116 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Washington?
48% of Washington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.2 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1942.
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 (10), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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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