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Mazatlan - panoramio (1)Photo: Corey Coyle · CC BY 3.0
–Not graded
History · Delafield

Delafield dates to 1837, and 11% of its homes were built before 1940

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 8 buildings. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1880.

1837founded
1on the National Register
11%homes built before 1940
5old photos & papers
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Delafield’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Delafield began

When was Delafield founded?

1837

Delafield dates its founding to 1837 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 183 in 18802020 census: 8,095189 years
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year.The full story ↓

What stands out about Delafield’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

On the map since 18925 editions of the USGS map, 1892 to 1994. Watch Delafield change.Deep rootsEstablished in 1837: 189 years of Delafield.
★ What stands out · On the map

Delafield on the map, 1892 to 1994

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Delafield. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Delafield on the 1892 USGS mapDelafield on the 1909 USGS mapDelafield on the 1959 USGS mapDelafield on the 1971 USGS mapDelafield on the 1994 USGS map1892Oconomowoc sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Delafield.

Timeline

Delafield, 1837 to 1992

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1837
    FoundingDelafield is established
  3. 1841Born hereAlonzo Cushing is born here
  4. 1842Born hereWilliam B. Cushing is born here
  5. 1892On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 20th century
  7. 1933In the archiveSt. John Chrysostom Church, Church Street
  8. 1989Born hereJared Hassin is born here
  9. 1992Born hereAlex Rigsby is born here
The story

How Delafield came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Delafield.

Read it all →

Delafield was established in 1837, named after Dr. Charles Delafield of Milwaukee. It was the hometown of the Cushing brothers, who served the Union cause during the American Civil War—Alonzo (killed during Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg), William (led the raid on CSS Albemarle), and Howard (an Indian fighter killed fighting the Apache in Arizona after the war). Cushing Memorial Park is named after them and is home to a war memorial in their honor, and Cushing Elementary is specifically named after Alonzo Cushing. Since 1927, a culinary event known as the "Coon Feed" has taken place in Delafield.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Delafield in 1880

Passages that mention Delafield, cut from the printed page as they were published.

HOIV. ALBERT ALDEN, Sec. 17 ; P. 0. Delafield ; was born in Portland, Me., Maich 5, 1811, where he received a liberal education, and afterward engaged in the mercantile business; in 1836, he went to New Orleans and clerked in a mercantile house until 1842, in which year he came to Wisconsin and eng…
The History of Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources1880 · page 987Read the page →
Read the text

HOIV. ALBERT ALDEN, Sec. 17 ; P. 0. Delafield ; was born in Portland, Me., Maich 5, 1811, where he received a liberal education, and afterward engaged in the mercantile business; in 1836, he went to New Orleans and clerked in a mercantile house until 1842, in which year he came to Wisconsin and engaged in keeping a general store in the village of Delafield, this county, which business he continued in until 1840; this was the first store established in the town of Delafield; he was also the first Postmaster in the town; in 1846, he was elected Sherifi', a position he filled two years, being the first Sheriff elected in Waukesha County ; he was again elected to the same position in 1864, and again served the people well for two years ; he was a member of the first regular Wisconsin Assembly in 1849,

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Originally the present town of Delafield, Township 7, of Range 18 east, formed a part of the town of Warren, now Merton; by act of the Legislature, approved February 17, 1842, it was included as part of Warren, the election to be held at the schoolhouse in District No. 1 ; by an act approved March …
The History of Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources1880 · page 731Read the page →
Read the text

Originally the present town of Delafield, Township 7, of Range 18 east, formed a part of the town of Warren, now Merton; by act of the Legislature, approved February 17, 1842, it was included as part of Warren, the election to be held at the schoolhouse in District No. 1 ; by an act approved March 21, 1843, the boundaries were established as they now are, and the town named Nehmabin, the first election to be held at the house of N. P. Hawks; and by an act of the Legislature, passed January 26, 1844, the name was changed from Nehmabin to Delafield.

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.

By decade

Delafield, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1930s5 items
St. John Chrysostom Church, Church Street1933St. John Chrysostom Church, Church StreetSt. John Chrysostom Church, Church Street1933St. John Chrysostom Church, Church StreetSt. John Chrysostom Church, Church Street1933St. John Chrysostom Church, Church StreetSt. John Chrysostom Church, Church Street1933St. John Chrysostom Church, Church StreetSt. John Chrysostom Church, Church Street1933St. John Chrysostom Church, Church Street
1940s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Today16 recent
Amish Barn2013Amish BarnPerkins® Family Restaurant ^ Bakery - panoramio (6)2012Perkins® Family Restaurant ^ Bakery - panoramio (6)Delafield Wisconsin Farm From the Empire Builder2012Delafield Wisconsin Farm From the Empire BuilderWalgreens2009WalgreensNorthern Cardinal (female)2009Northern Cardinal (female)Forest wild flowers2009Forest wild flowersDelafield, Wisconsin (2009)2009Delafield, Wisconsin (2009)Delafield, WI, USA2009Delafield, WI, USADelafield, WI, USA - panoramio - NaturesFan12262009Delafield, WI, USA - panoramio - NaturesFan1226Delafield, WI, USA - panoramio - NaturesFan1226 (6)2009Delafield, WI, USA - panoramio - NaturesFan1226 (6)Delafield, WI, USA - panoramio - NaturesFan1226 (5)2009Delafield, WI, USA - panoramio - NaturesFan1226 (5)Delafield, WI, USA - panoramio - NaturesFan1226 (4)2009Delafield, WI, USA - panoramio - NaturesFan1226 (4)Delafield, WI, USA - panoramio - NaturesFan1226 (3)2009Delafield, WI, USA - panoramio - NaturesFan1226 (3)Delafield, WI, USA - panoramio - NaturesFan1226 (2)2009Delafield, WI, USA - panoramio - NaturesFan1226 (2)Delafield, WI, USA - panoramio - NaturesFan1226 (1)2009Delafield, WI, USA - panoramio - NaturesFan1226 (1)Bluegrass Music Jam Delafield Fish Hatchery Wisconsin February 20092009Bluegrass Music Jam Delafield Fish Hatchery Wisconsin…
Every building

Delafield, building by building, 1918

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 sheet.

Delafield fire insurance map, 1918, sheet 11918Sheet 1 of 2
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

St. John Chrysostom Church, Church Street
Retake this viewSt. John Chrysostom Church, Church Street, 1933

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Delafield’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 listing protects 8 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
8
each building in a district counts
first listed
1988
Statesan Historic District
Statesan Historic District
Districts

Architectural styles listings

Classical Revival1
Craftsman1
All 1 listings
Statesan Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1988

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Delafield, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,000188019001920194019601980200020207,185

Grew from 183 people in 1880 to 7,185 in 2020, more than tenfold.

8 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Delafield’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Delafield

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Alex RigsbyWomen's ice hockey player · b. 1992
Alonzo CushingUnion Army soldier · b. 1841
William B. CushingUnited States Navy officer · b. 1842
Jared HassinAmerican football player · b. 1989
Places that used to be

Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Buena VistaPewaukee West
Gone or out of use
Brandy Brook SchoolschoolHighland View Schoolschool
1cemetery inside Delafield
Tabernacle

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Delafield’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewSt. John Chrysostom Church, Church Stre…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Pewaukee1 historic placeCHartland14 historic placesB+Genesee8 historic placesA−LisbonIts storyC

Questions about Delafield’s history

What year was Delafield founded?

In 1837, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1880 counted 183 people here.

What is on the National Register in Delafield?

One place: the Statesan Historic District (listed 1988).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (21), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.