Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 93% of U.S. towns. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 13 buildings. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1968 on, and the census since 1900.
The Chesterfield post office opened in 1812, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Cato (1898), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
More historic than 93% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Chesterfield is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
South Carolina towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical South Carolina town has 3.2 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Chesterfield’s 246 sits above most of its state (93% of South Carolina towns have fewer) while its 36 historic buildings outnumber those of 83% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Chesterfield’s history is told.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereRobert B. Scarborough is born here
In the archiveHistoric American Buildings Survey, FRONT VIEW. - John Craig House, Courthouse Vicinity
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyFrom Wikipedia’s history of Chesterfield.
The East Main Street Historic District, Dr. Thomas E. Lucas House, and West Main Street Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, supervised by the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
One decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Chesterfield. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Chesterfield.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Chesterfield’s page.
Retake this view · +15The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Between 308 and 1,667 people in every census since 1900.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Chesterfield’s Wikipedia page.
Chesterfield’s post office has been open since 1812. Another post office, Cato, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The Chesterfield post office opened in 1812, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Chesterfield is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns. 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.
Three places: the Dr. Thomas E. Lucas House (listed 1982), the East Main Street Historic District (1982) and the West Main Street Historic District (1982).
24% of Chesterfield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.6 points), against a typical 3.5% for a South Carolina town; the median home was built in 1965.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (4), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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) 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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2012
2012