Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 95% of U.S. towns. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 40 buildings. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1880.
Darlington dates its founding to 1849 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.
More historic than 95% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Darlington is more historic than 95% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
Wisconsin towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Wisconsin town has 3.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Darlington’s 174 sits above most of its state (97% of Wisconsin towns have fewer) while its 42 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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.
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.
1884Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Darlington. 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 Darlington.
From Wikipedia’s history of Darlington.
The first residence within the city limits of Darlington was a log house owned by Jamison Hamilton in 1836. He laid out the village of Avon, or Centre, in 1847. Darlington was first organized in 1849, but was known for a long time as the town of Centre. The first town meeting was held on April 3, 1849, with 82 votes being cast.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Darlington, cut from the printed page as they were published.
of La Fayette, in this State, shall hereafter be known and designated as the village of Darlington, and the inhabitants residing, or who may hereafter reside, within the limits of said village, are hereby constituted a body corporate, by the name of the ' President and Trustees of the village of Darlington,' exercising all the powers and privileges, and being subject to all the duties and obligations pertaining to a municipal corporation."
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
This portion of the county was for several years prior to 1849, a voting precinct, and included considerable territory which now constitutes the town of Darlington, but, when on the 12th of January of the above year, the different towns were erected, the town of Willow Springs was constituted, embracing the present territory. The first regular election for town officers was held April 3, 1849, when the following officers were chosen : John Ray, Chairman ; James Noble and Nicholas Dunphy, Supervisors; Thomas H. Sheldon, Clerk; Elihu Hall, Treasurer; D. M. Parkinson, Assessor. There were also three Constables, four Fence Viewers, and five Overseers of Highways elected at this time.
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereJohn Morrow is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
BuiltLafayette County Courthouse is built
In the archivePecatonica River
Born hereAlex Erickson is born hereOne decade in the archive so far: the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Darlington’s page.
Retake this view · +15Between 1,372 and 2,462 people in every census since 1880.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Darlington’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Darlington’s post office has been open since 1851.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
In 1849, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Darlington’s post office opened in 1851, and the census of 1880 counted 1,372 people here.
Darlington is more historic than 95% 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.
Three places: the Lafayette County Courthouse (listed 1978), the Main Street Historic District (1994) and the Darlington Carnegie Free Library (2022).
30% of Darlington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.9 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1960.
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 (4), the Library of Congress (5), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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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