On its age, its old homes and the National Register, George Mason is more historic than 5% of U.S. towns, #209 of 253 in Virginia. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of George Mason’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 George Mason’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (17% of Virginia towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.6 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. 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 George Mason’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The land that is now George Mason was located on the farm of John and Harriet Burtis, originally of New York State; the Burtises were abolitionists who grew vegetables and raised sheep. On May 25, 1861, Corporal John Barnes of the C.S.A. 17th Virginia Infantry Regiment's Company D, also known as the Fairfax Rifle Rangers, riding with his companion, ordered Burtis to give him provisions. Burtis procured several of his sheep for the Corporal, but refused to use his team of horses to move them to the Confederate camp in Fairfax Station. Barnes eventually convinced a local free black man to move the sheep for him, but loudly declared in the presence of the man that he would arrest Burtis and seize his team. Burtis, having learned of the danger he was in, left with his wife and his team, taking a "...circuitous route through the woods", eventually reaching Washington.
George Mason is more historic than 5% of U.S. towns, #209 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.
How old are the homes in George Mason?
0.7% of George Mason’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 1.9% for a Virginia town; the median home was built in 1980.
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), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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.
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