1 of West Buffalo Township’s places is on the National Register
More historic than 52% of U.S. towns · #717 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Its Register listing is the Hayes Bridge. Most of West Buffalo Township was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Below: maps from 1944 on.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, West Buffalo Township is more historic than 52% of U.S. towns, #717 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of West Buffalo 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 West Buffalo Township’s 3.5 sits near the middle of its state (63% 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 (±4.4 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 West Buffalo Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
West Buffalo Township is a second class township in Union County, Pennsylvania. It was created from Buffalo Township, Northumberland County in August 1792. That same summer, Elias Youngman founded the town of Mifflinburg. Youngman also became the first supervisor of West Buffalo Township. Circa 1795, George Rote (Roth/Rhoads) founded the town of Greenville adjacent to Mifflinburg. The division line was Third Street. These towns were part of West Buffalo Township, Northumberland County from 1792 until 1813, when Union County was created on March 22, and Mifflinburg was established as the county seat. In 1827, the Borough of Mifflinburg was incorporated and ceased to be a part of West Buffalo Township.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of West Buffalo Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1944Williamsport 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 West Buffalo Township.
On the National Register
1 historic place in West Buffalo Township
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
West Buffalo Township is more historic than 52% of U.S. towns, #717 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 West Buffalo Township?
One place: the Hayes Bridge (listed 1980).
How old are the homes in West Buffalo Township?
9% of West Buffalo Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.4 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1989.
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 (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.
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