Providence dates to 1859, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 54% of U.S. towns · #34 of 119 in Utah. What drives it
Most of Providence was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2000. 3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 207 buildings. Below: maps from 1961 on and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1861.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Providence’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Providence is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns, #34 of 119 in Utah. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Providence’s overall grade.
Utah towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Utah town has 3.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Providence’s 234 sits above most of its state (95% of Utah towns have fewer) while its 209 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 C− to B+. The pre-1940 share (±1.9 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1859.
Founding year: Wikidata (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 Providence’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Providence lies 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of Logan on former State Route 238. Its 1990 census population was 3,344. Situated immediately east of the confluence of Spring Creek with the Logan River, the town lies astride a delta at the mouth of Providence Canyon and beneath 8,881-foot (2,707 m) Big Baldy Mountain. The settlement was located on Spring Creek to take advantage of water, arable land, timber resources, and existing trails.
In 1859, according to Wikidata. Providence’s post office opened in 1861, and the census of 1870 counted 481 people here.
How does Providence rank for history?
Providence is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns, #34 of 119 in Utah. 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 Providence?
Three places: the Providence LDS Chapel and Meetinghouse (listed 1982), the Ferdinand Zollinger Jr. House (1992) and the Providence Historic District (2007).
How old are the homes in Providence?
4% of Providence’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.9 points), against a typical 2.8% for an Utah town; the median home was built in 2000.
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 (2), Wikidata (2), 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.