Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 58% of U.S. towns · #77 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it
Most of Lebanon was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. Its Register listings are the Stephen B. Quillen House and the Samuel Gilmer House. Its Register listings are the Stephen B. Quillen House and the Samuel Gilmer House. Below: maps from 1918 on and the census since 1860.
The Lebanon post office opened in 1818, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1819.
More historic than 58% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lebanon is more historic than 58% of U.S. towns, #77 of 253 in Virginia. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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 Lebanon’s 9.6 sits near the middle of its state (54% of Virginia towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Lebanon’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Lebanon. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Lebanon.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
From Wikipedia’s history of Lebanon.
The town of Lebanon was founded in 1818 as per an effort to create a new county seat for Russell County. The Lebanon Lutheran Church was founded in 1851 by pastor Jacob Scherer.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Between 209 and 3,424 people in every census since 1860.
17 censuses, 1860–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Lebanon’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Lebanon’s post office has been open since 1818.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The Lebanon post office opened in 1818, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1819.
Lebanon is more historic than 58% of U.S. towns, #77 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.
Two places: the Stephen B. Quillen House (listed 2003) and the Samuel Gilmer House (2015).
4% of Lebanon’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.5 points), against a typical 1.9% for a Virginia town; the median home was built in 1976.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (6), 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) 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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