Chehalis dates to 1873, and 29% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns · #5 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
11 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 207 buildings between them. Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1890.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1874.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Chehalis’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Chehalis is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #5 of 285 in Washington. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Chehalis’ overall grade.
Few Washington towns list much on the Register (a typical Washington town has 0.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Chehalis’ 316 sits above most of its state (99% of Washington towns have fewer) while its 240 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.5 points). Two sources give 1873.
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 Chehalis’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Every building
Chehalis, building by building, 1885–1912
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1885Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Chehalis began as a settlement around a warehouse beside a railroad track in 1873, when the Northern Pacific Railroad built northward from Kalama to Tacoma. Northern Pacific's decision bypassed the town of Claquato, then the county seat. This allowed Chehalis, in 1874, to become the central location for Lewis County government. That same year, a store was added to the warehouse, and a courthouse and several houses were constructed. Chehalis was incorporated on November 23, 1883.
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 1873, according to Wikidata. Chehalis’ post office opened in 1874, and the census of 1890 counted 1,309 people here.
How does Chehalis rank for history?
Chehalis is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #5 of 285 in Washington. 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 Chehalis?
11 listings: 9 buildings, among them the Burlington Northern Depot (listed 1974, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District and the Hillside Historic District, with 207 contributing buildings. 240 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Chehalis?
29% of Chehalis’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.5 points), against a typical 4.3% for a Washington town; the median home was built in 1965.
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 (11), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (11), 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 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.
c. 1890
1898
1899
1899
c. 1900
1900s
