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History · Rockville

Rockville dates to 1860, and 3 of its places are on the National Register

Most of Rockville was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1984. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1980 on, and the census since 1870.

1860founded
3on the National Register
10%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Rockville’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Rockville began

When was Rockville founded?

1860

Rockville dates its founding to 1860 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 225 in 18702020 census: 226166 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1864.

What stands out about Rockville’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 453 in 1950; 226 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Rockville’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewRockville, Utah, Main Street, facing we…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Rockville, census by census

010020030040050018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 453

Peaked at 453 in 1950; 226 people lived here in 2020.

14 censuses, 1870–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Rockville’s Wikipedia page.

The story so far

Rockville, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Rockville yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Rockville is a town in Washington County, Utah, United States. It is located along the Virgin River near the mouth of Zion Canyon. The city lies just outside the park boundary for Zion National Park; the park entrance is located approximately 5 miles (8 km) northeast of the town. The population was 226 at the 2020 census.

Rockville was established in 1860. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 245 to 226 (-8%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Rockville, 1860 to 1993

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1860
    FoundingRockville is established
  3. 1864Post officeThe Grafton post office opens
  4. 1864Post officeThe Rockville post office opens
  5. 1882Post officeThe Grafton post office closes
  6. 20th century
  7. 1935Born hereTravis Hirschi is born here
  8. 1950CensusPopulation peaks at 453
  9. 1966Post officeThe Rockville post office closes
  10. 1980On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  11. 1993In the archiveRockville, Utah, Main Street, facing west - Zion National Park Roads and Bridges, Springd…
By decade

Rockville, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1990s1 item
Rockville, Utah, Main Street, facing west - Zion National Park Roads and Bridges, Springdale, Washington County, UT1993Rockville, Utah, Main Street, facing west - Zion Nati…
Today5 recent
Western Sky, Rockville, UT 8-072007Western Sky, Rockville, UT 8-07Southwest of Zion,8-20072007Southwest of Zion,8-2007Southwest of Zion,8-20072007Southwest of Zion,8-2007Rockville, Utah2007Rockville, UtahDon't Fence Me In, Rockville, UT 8-072007Don't Fence Me In, Rockville, UT 8-07
On the map

Rockville on the map, 1980 to 1999

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

Rockville on the 1980 USGS mapRockville on the 1999 USGS map1980Springdale West sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Rockville.

On the National Register

3 listings protect 12 historic buildings

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

places listed
3
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
12
each building in a district counts
first listed
1972
Deseret Telegraph and Post Office
Deseret Telegraph and Post OfficeRockville BridgeGrafton Historic District
BuildingsDistrictsStructures

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival1
Vernacular Classical1
Vernacular Outbuildings1
International style1
Deseret Telegraph and Post OfficeBuilding
Rockville BridgeStructure
All 3 listings
Grafton Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2010

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

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Rockville had its own post office from 1864 to 1966. Another post office, Grafton, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Grafton
1864–1882
Rockville
1864–1966
18601940today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Grafton
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Rockville
GraftonRockville

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

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Springdale13 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Rockville’s history

What year was Rockville founded?

In 1860, according to Wikidata. Rockville’s post office opened in 1864, and the census of 1870 counted 225 people here.

What is on the National Register in Rockville?

Three places: the Deseret Telegraph and Post Office (listed 1972), the Rockville Bridge (1995) and the Grafton Historic District (2010).

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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.