Most of Lincolnville was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. Below: maps from 1920 on and the census since 1880.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lincolnville is more historic than 17% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lincolnville’s overall grade.
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 Lincolnville’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (23% of South Carolina towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.9 points). Two sources give 1867.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Lincolnville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lincolnville was founded in 1867 by seven African-American men, including Reverend Richard Harvey Cain, Daniel Adger, Marc Buffett, Reverend Lewis Ruffin Nichols, Hector Grant, Reverend M.B. Salters and Walter Steele, who left their former home of Charleston to escape the racial discrimination they felt subject to in that environment. Amos Williams joined them as a signer of Lincolnville's original charter. Riding the local South Carolina Special train to examine properties for sale by the South Carolina Railroad Company, the men settled on this area that was then known as "Pump Pond" for its use as a train stopping point for water, wood and coal. The men signed a contract with the railroad company to purchase 620 acres (2.5 km2) for $1,000.
In 1867, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1880 counted 350 people here.
How does Lincolnville rank for history?
Lincolnville is more historic than 17% 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.
How old are the homes in Lincolnville?
2% of Lincolnville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.9 points), against a typical 3.5% for a South Carolina town; the median home was built in 1987.
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 Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.
