Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Jessamyn assumed (based on copyright claims). · Public domain
Quick answers
How Washington began
When was Washington founded?
1822
The Washington post office opened in 1822, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, South Washington (1840), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 72 in 17902020 census: 1,032204 years
How historic is Washington?
C+
More historic than 43% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Washington post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Washington’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Washington is more historic than 43% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Washington’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 Washington’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (5% of Vermont towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% 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 (±3.7 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 Washington’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
During the 1760s and 1770s, the territory now known as Vermont was in dispute between New York and New Hampshire, the result of conflicting interpretations of each colony's charter. People moving into the territory, then known as New Connecticut or the New Hampshire Grants, generally settled after purchasing land grants from New Hampshire governor Benning Wentworth. When the British government resolved the dispute in New York's favor, New York attempted to assert control by forcing residents who had purchased grants from Wentworth to pay a fee to confirm their titles, otherwise face eviction. Many Vermonters resisted, leading to creation of the Green Mountain Boys.
Passages that mention Washington, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Washington county, in the Vermont historical gazetteer1882Read the page →
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was one of the State electors of president and vice president, and by his associates was deputed to carry and deliver the votes of the State in the City of Washington. From April, I823, he had a junior partner in his law business, Paul Dillingham, Jr.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Washington county, in the Vermont historical gazetteer1882 · page 919Read the page →
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largest number, viz. : 10 patents in the State in 1827, and total to 1828, 18 patents on record in the patent office at Washington, of which four were taken in Addison Co., five in Windham Co., three in Washington Co., two in Windsor Co., etc.: "Building bridges, patent for, to Napthalia Bishop, Barre, Vt., Jan. 11,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer1882 · page 234Read the page →
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of county line Feb. i, 1779: to Addison Co., formed Oct. 18, 1785; to Jefferson County, incorporated Nov. i, 1810; to Washington Co., the name of Jefferson being changed, to Washington in 18 14. Middlesex can boast of being the first town settled in Washington County, as the county is now organized ; but it was
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The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer1882 · page 57Read the page →
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though it is believed that the jail, as such, was never occupied. This singularly originated log-jail was situated a mile or two S. E. of the present village of Washington, near the sources of the brook which, running northerly into Stevens' Branch, thence forward, took the name of Jail Branch.
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.
The Washington post office opened in 1822, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Washington rank for history?
Washington is more historic than 43% 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.
How old are the homes in Washington?
10% of Washington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.7 points), against a typical 22% for a Vermont 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 (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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