York’s post office opened in 1802, and 7 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 80% of U.S. towns · #26 of 169 in South Carolina. What drives it
7 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 173 buildings. Most of York was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1984. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1982 on, and the census since 1850.
The York post office opened in 1802, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Yorkville (1833), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 511 in 18502020 census: 8,503224 years
How historic is York?
A−
More historic than 80% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first York post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives York’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, York is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #26 of 169 in South Carolina. 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 York’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 York’s 200 sits above most of its state (92% of South Carolina towns have fewer) while its 179 historic buildings outnumber those of 93% 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 (±2.9 points) is firm at this size. 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 York’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first European settlers came to York in the early 1750s, having migrated south from Pennsylvania and Virginia. Of the three major groups settling Pennsylvania, the English came first, then the Germans, and then the Scots. The county names of Lancashire, Cheshire and Yorkshire had been brought from England to Pennsylvania, and then on to South Carolina by the early settlers.
Prior to this, the first known inhabitants of York County were the Catawba Indians.
Passages that mention York, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A history of the rise of Methodism in America. Containing sketches of Methodist itinerant preachers, from 1736 to 1785 ... Also, a short account of many hundreds of the first race of lay members, male and female, from New York to South Carolina. Together1862 · page 59Read the page →
Read the text
The first church was erected the same year that the Burlington Methodists opened their first church. In the same year (1789), the second place of worship for the Methodists of New York, called ''Forsyth" now, — was put up. The people of Southwark, in Philadelphia, were also moving in the erection of Old Ebenezer.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A history of the rise of Methodism in America. Containing sketches of Methodist itinerant preachers, from 1736 to 1785 ... Also, a short account of many hundreds of the first race of lay members, male and female, from New York to South Carolina. Together1862 · page 33Read the page →
Read the text
Soon after he was stationed at Albany in New York as barrack-master. About the month of February, 1767, Mr. Webb became acquainted with the Methodists in New York city. This was while they were worshipping in the room near the barracks. His appearance among them in his
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
York, 1802 to 1982
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The York post office opened in 1802, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does York rank for history?
York is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #26 of 169 in South Carolina. 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 York?
7 listings: 6 buildings, among them the Wilson House (listed 1974, the first), and 1 historic district, the York Historic District, with 173 contributing buildings. 179 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in York?
7% of York’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.9 points), against a typical 3.5% for a South Carolina town; the median home was built in 1984.
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 (16), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (5), the National Register of Historic Places (7), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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