4 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 173 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1917 on and the census since 1880.
The Dayton post office opened in 1832, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1879. Another post office, Wiseville (1887), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 258 in 18802020 census: 1,688194 years
How historic is Dayton?
A+
More historic than 96% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Dayton post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1879.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Dayton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Dayton is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Dayton’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 Dayton’s 911 sits above most of its state (96% of Virginia towns have fewer) while its 175 historic buildings outnumber those of 92% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±12.9 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1879.
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 Dayton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The town of Dayton is one of the oldest settled communities in Rockingham County, and is the county's second oldest incorporated town, after Bridgewater. The first settler in Dayton was Daniel Harrison (c. 1702–1770), whose family settled along Cooks Creek, north of downtown. Daniel was the eldest son of Isaiah Harrison and second wife Abigail and was born in Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York. Daniel's brother Thomas Harrison founded Harrisonburg several miles to the northeast. They and their three brothers had migrated from New York to Delaware and then to Orange County Virginia before settling in the Shenandoah Valley.
Dayton’s post office has been open since 1832. Another post office, Wiseville, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Dayton
1832–today
Wiseville
1887–1889
18301930today
1cemetery inside Dayton
Dayton
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Dayton’s history
What year was Dayton founded?
The Dayton post office opened in 1832, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1879.
How does Dayton rank for history?
Dayton is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns. 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 Dayton?
4 listings: 2 buildings, among them the Daniel Harrison House (listed 1973, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Dayton Historic District and the Silver Lake Historic District, with 173 contributing buildings. 175 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Dayton?
31% of Dayton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±12.9 points), against a typical 1.9% for a Virginia town; the median home was built in 1967.
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 (3), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, 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 Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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