Colonial Beach’s post office opened in 1884, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 55% of U.S. towns · #81 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it
Most of Colonial Beach was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1979. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 81 buildings. Below: 24 old photos and papers, maps from 1953 on, and the census since 1900.
From Colonial Beach’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers
How Colonial Beach began
When was Colonial Beach founded?
1884
The Colonial Beach post office opened in 1884, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1892. Four smaller post offices, Millville (1814), Classic Show (1883) and Wilkersons (1888), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 453 in 19002020 census: 3,908142 years
How historic is Colonial Beach?
B−
More historic than 55% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Colonial Beach post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1892.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Colonial Beach’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Colonial Beach is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns, #81 of 253 in Virginia. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Colonial Beach’s overall grade.
Virginia towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Virginia town has 3.6 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Colonial Beach’s 209 sits above most of its state (78% of Virginia towns have fewer) while its 83 historic buildings outnumber those of 88% 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 is a Census survey estimate (±4.7 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1892 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
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 Colonial Beach’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
Judging by excavations done on oyster pits, it would seem that Native Americans have inhabited the area of modern-day Colonial Beach since at least the Early Woodland Period (500 B.C.- A.D. 900).
The town area now known as ‘The Point’ was originally patented by John Lancelott and S. Lancelott [Odyer and Sturman Escheat] on October 29, 1651.
Colonial Beach emerged as a bathing and fishing resort in the late 19th century known as the "Playground on the Potomac." Prior to automobile travel, most visitors arrived by boat from Washington, D.C.
Town of Colonial Beach has sprung into existence, and has nearly reached tHe population of a city, and real estate has doubled in value, and with a prospective railroad in the near future. With the advantages we have for trucking, etc., with men of muscular tnorgy and brains, I see no reason why this county should not occupy her former position, i. e.. not only the "Athens," but the "Garden spot of America." — TTnnd-Boolx of Virginin, 1910. p. 241.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
imported breeds; Eappahannock and Potomac Eivers, inlets and tributaries, furnishing water power for finest manufacturies and plants and transportation facilities; churches, public schools, banks: Bank of Westmoreland at Colonial Beach, Bank of Kinsale at Kinsale, and Bank of Montross at Montross, with deposits, resources, and financial earnings of the people generally — figures that speak volumes for soundness of local business conditions. Westmoreland Enquirer and Colonial Beach Becord, newspaper, at Colonial Beach ;
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
Colonial Beach, 1814 to 1989
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Colonial Beach. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1953Morgantown 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 Colonial Beach.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewColonial Beach, Va, 1909
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Colonial Beach’s page.
The Colonial Beach post office opened in 1884, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1892.
How does Colonial Beach rank for history?
Colonial Beach is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns, #81 of 253 in Virginia. 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 Colonial Beach?
Two places: the Bell House (listed 1987) and the Colonial Beach Commercial Historic District (2021).
How old are the homes in Colonial Beach?
7% of Colonial Beach’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.7 points), against a typical 1.9% for a Virginia town; the median home was built in 1979.
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), the Library of Congress (22), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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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