Wales dates to 1859, and 24% of its homes were built before 1940
Its Register listings are the John T. Lewellyn House and the Wales Co-operative Mercantile Institution. Its Register listings are the John T. Lewellyn House and the Wales Co-operative Mercantile Institution.
How Wales began
When was Wales founded?
Wales dates its founding to 1859 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1864.
2 historic places in Wales
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
Architectural styles listings
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Lost post offices
Wales had its own post office from 1864 to 1974.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Wales’ history
What year was Wales founded?
In 1859, according to Wikidata. Wales’ post office opened in 1864.
What is on the National Register in Wales?
Two places: the John T. Lewellyn House (listed 1980) and the Wales Co-operative Mercantile Institution (2000).
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.