West Vincent Township’s post office opened in 1843, and 8 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 84% of U.S. towns · #264 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Most of West Vincent Township was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2003. 8 places in town are on the National Register, among them four historic districts with 214 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1906 on and the census since 1930.
The West Vincent Township post office opened in 1843, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, West Vincent (1843) and Matthews (1881), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 831 in 19302020 census: 6,668183 years
How historic is West Vincent Township?
A−
More historic than 84% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first West Vincent Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives West Vincent Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, West Vincent Township is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #264 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of West Vincent 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 Vincent Township’s 320 sits above most of its state (93% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 219 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.0 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (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 West Vincent Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The township was named after Sir Mathias Vincent. West Vincent was formed in 1832 when Vincent Township was divided. The remainder of Vincent Township became East Vincent.
The Birchrunville General Store, Birchrunville Historic District, Deery Family Homestead, Nicholas East House, French Creek Farm, Robert Rooke House, and Strickland-Roberts Homestead are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of West Vincent Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1906Phoenixville 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 Vincent Township.
People over time
West Vincent Township, census by census
Grew from 831 people in 1930 to 6,668 in 2020, 8 times over.
10 censuses, 1930–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on West Vincent Township’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to West Vincent Township
Nobody well known was born in West Vincent Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
The West Vincent Township post office opened in 1843, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does West Vincent Township rank for history?
West Vincent Township is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #264 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 Vincent Township?
8 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Nicholas East House (listed 1973, the first), and 4 historic districts with 214 contributing buildings. 219 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in West Vincent Township?
10% of West Vincent Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.0 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 2003.
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 Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (8), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.
