Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Wharton Township

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
AHistory
History · Wharton Township

27% of Wharton Township’s homes were built before 1940

More historic than 91% of U.S. towns · #159 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it

5 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 1 buildings. Below: maps from 1900 on.

5on the National Register
27%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

About Wharton Township’s history

How historic is Wharton Township?

A

More historic than 91% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Wharton Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Wharton Township is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns, #159 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.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Wharton Township’s overall grade.
Founding eraNo founding year we can rely on, so the grade uses the other two–Homes built before 194026.8% of homes (±9.8) · typical PA town 17.7% · U.S. 8.4%A−National Register5 listings, 6 historic buildings, 18.0 per 10,000 residents · typical PA town 2.1 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 91%
NewerOlder
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,035)Ahead of 85%

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 Wharton Township’s 18.0 sits above most of its state (81% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 6 historic buildings outnumber those of 72% 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 (±9.8 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 Wharton Township’s past

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

Lost villages4 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Wharton Township, and 11 old place names are still on the map.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Wharton Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19004 editions of the USGS map, 1900 to 1973. Watch Wharton Township change.Old burying grounds19 cemeteries and burying grounds inside Wharton Township.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Four other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Fayette Springs
1834–1899
Farmington
1841–today
Shinbone
1870–1874
Gibbon Glade
1874–today
Elliottsville
1886–1939
Wirsing
1897–1909
Chalkhill
1899–today
18301930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
ChalkhillDeer LakeElliottsvilleFarmingtonFayette SpringsFive ForksGibbon GladeGladesMount WashingtonPoint BreezeWharton Furnace
Gone or out of use
Canaan SchoolschoolGuthrie SchoolschoolHager AirstripairportMcCracken SchoolschoolSchaffer SchoolschoolSmith SchoolschoolWirsing Schoolschool
19cemeteries and burying grounds inside Wharton Township
Bethel Memorial ParkBrownChalk Hill LutheranCromwell FamilyFort NecessityGeneral Edward Braddock GravesiteHanselHullLieb FamilyMount Washington Presbyterian ChurchMoyer FamilyMoyer UmbleSansomSpaw FamilySunset ViewThomasVan SickleVisitationWorkman
See all 19

Bethel Memorial Park · Brown Cemetery · Chalk Hill Lutheran Cemetery · Cromwell Family Cemetery · Fort Necessity Cemetery · General Edward Braddock Gravesite · Hansel Cemetery · Hull Cemetery · Lieb Family Cemetery · Mount Washington Presbyterian Church Cemetery · Moyer Family Cemetery · Moyer Umble Cemetery · Sansom Cemetery · Spaw Family Cemetery · Sunset View Cemetery · Thomas Cemetery · Van Sickle Cemetery · Visitation Cemetery · Workman Cemetery

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Start Wharton Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Wharton Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Wharton Township on the map, 1900 to 1973

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

Wharton Township on the 1900 USGS mapWharton Township on the 1931 USGS mapWharton Township on the 1964 USGS mapWharton Township on the 1973 USGS map1900Uniontown 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 Wharton Township.

The story

How Wharton Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Wharton Township.

Read it all →

Downer Tavern, Fayette-Springs Hotel, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Rush House, and Wharton Furnace are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Wharton Township, 1822 to 2018

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1822BuiltFayette-Springs Hotel is built
  3. 1834Post officeThe Fayette Springs post office opens
  4. 1841Post officeThe Farmington post office opens
  5. 1870Post officeThe Shinbone post office opens
  6. 1874Post officeThe Shinbone post office closes
  7. 1899Post officeThe Fayette Springs post office closes
  8. 20th century
  9. 1900On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 1961BuiltFort Necessity National Battlefield is built
  11. 21st century
  12. 2018BuiltRush House is built
By decade

Wharton Township, decade by decade

Today18 recent
US 40 eb in Wharton Twp., PA (2), Aug. 20242024US 40 eb in Wharton Twp., PA (2), Aug. 2024US 40 eb in Wharton Twp., PA (1), Aug. 20242024US 40 eb in Wharton Twp., PA (1), Aug. 2024US 40 eb in Chalk Hill, PA, Aug. 20242024US 40 eb in Chalk Hill, PA, Aug. 2024US 40 eb entering Wharton Twp., PA, Aug. 20242024US 40 eb entering Wharton Twp., PA, Aug. 2024US 40 eb entering Henry Clay Twp., PA, Aug. 20242024US 40 eb entering Henry Clay Twp., PA, Aug. 2024US 40 eb at Sansom Chapel, Wharton Twp., PA, Aug. 20242024US 40 eb at Sansom Chapel, Wharton Twp., PA, Aug. 2024US 40 eb approaching PA 381, Aug. 20242024US 40 eb approaching PA 381, Aug. 2024PA 381 nb at US 40, Aug. 20242024PA 381 nb at US 40, Aug. 2024Chalk Hill, PA post office, Aug. 20242024Chalk Hill, PA post office, Aug. 20242022-05-14 08 13 45 View south along Pennsylvania State Route 381 (Elliotsville Road) at U.S. Route 40 (National Pike) …20222022-05-14 08 13 45 View south along Pennsylvania Sta…Goldsworthy-Room-1992-detail2019Goldsworthy-Room-1992-detailPhotography at Touchstone2018Photography at TouchstoneChalkhill post office 154212015Chalkhill post office 15421Wharton Furnace Fayette County2013Wharton Furnace Fayette CountyFayette Springs Hotel2013Fayette Springs HotelWhartonTwpPA RushHouse2012WhartonTwpPA RushHouseWharton Furnace2012Wharton FurnaceNemicolin Woodlands Resort2003Nemicolin Woodlands Resort
On the National Register

5 historic places in Wharton Township

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
5
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
6
each building in a district counts
first listed
1966
Fort Necessity National Battlefield
Fort Necessity National Battlefield, built 1961Rush House, built 2018Wharton FurnaceDowner TavernFayette-Springs Hotel, built 1822
BuildingsDistrictsSites

Architectural styles listings

Federal2
Iron Furnace1
Fort Necessity National BattlefieldBuilt 1961
Rush HouseBuilt 2018
Wharton FurnaceIron Furnace
Downer TavernFederal
Fayette-Springs HotelFederal · Built 1822

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Wharton Township

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

See all →
G
George MarshallAmerican army officer and statesman · b. 1880
Mark T. Esper27th United States Secretary of Defense · b. 1964
J
John Dickson CarrAmerican writer · b. 1906
Tamora PierceAmerican writer of fantasy novels for children … · b. 1954
B
Bob CowellAmerican swimmer, Olympic silver medalist, U.S.… · b. 1924
Thomas FordPolitician 1800-1850 · b. 1800
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Stewart Township2 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townGeorges Township1 historic placeA+Henry Clay TownshipIts storyC+South Union Township4 historic placesA−North Union Township3 historic placesASpringhill TownshipIts storyB

Questions about Wharton Township’s history

How does Wharton Township rank for history?

Wharton Township is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns, #159 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 Wharton Township?

5 listings: 3 buildings, 1 historic district, the Fort Necessity National Battlefield, with 1 contributing buildings, and 1 site. 6 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Wharton Township?

27% of Wharton Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.8 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1975.

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
Start a conversation
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).

From Wikimedia Commons (18), the National Register of Historic Places (5), 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.