Tunbridge dates to 1761, and 33% of its homes were built before 1940
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. What drives it
9 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 83 buildings. Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1981 on, and the census since 1790.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Tunbridge is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs put Tunbridge near the top nationally; its age ranks highest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Tunbridge’s overall grade.
Vermont towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Vermont town has 147 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Tunbridge’s 678 sits above most of its state (92% of Vermont towns have fewer) while its 85 historic buildings outnumber those of 88% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1761.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±9.8 points).
Founding year: Wikidata (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 Tunbridge’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Button Cemetery · Dickerman Hill Cemetery · Drews Cemetery · Durkee Cemetery · Hunt Cemetery · Kelsey Mountain Cemetery · Kelsey Mountain Cemetery · Monarch Hill Cemetery · Mount Pleasant Cemetery · Mount Pleasant Cemetery · Old Meeting House Cemetery · Ordway Cemetery · Riddall Cemetery · Smith Cemetery · Spring Road Cemetery · Spring Road Cemetery · Strafford Road Cemetery · Tunbridge Village Cemetery · Ward Hill Cemetery · Whitney Hill Cemetery
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
Tunbridge, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Tunbridge yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Tunbridge is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the town population was 1,337. The town consists of three village centers, all situated on Vermont Route 110 in the valley of the first branch of the White River. The three settlements are named North Tunbridge (also known locally as "Blood Village"), Tunbridge Village ("Market") and South Tunbridge ("Jigger").
Tunbridge was established in 1761. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 1,284 to 1,337 (+4%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Tunbridge, 1761 to 1981
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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.
In 1761, according to Wikidata. Tunbridge’s post office opened in 1812, and the first U.S. census counted 487 people here in 1790.
How does Tunbridge rank for history?
Tunbridge is among the most historic 1% 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 Tunbridge?
9 listings: 2 buildings, 1 historic district, the Tunbridge Village Historic District, with 83 contributing buildings, and 6 structures. 85 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Tunbridge?
33% of Tunbridge’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.8 points), against a typical 22% for a Vermont town; the median home was built in 1981.
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 (4), the Library of Congress (7), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (9), 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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