2 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Robert M. LaFollette House, a National Historic Landmark. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Robert M. LaFollette House, a National Historic Landmark.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Maple Bluff is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Maple Bluff’s overall grade.
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 Maple Bluff’s 15.0 sits above most of its state (80% of Wisconsin towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±10.0 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Maple Bluff’s 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.
The story so far
Maple Bluff, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Maple Bluff yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Maple Bluff is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,368 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of Madison located on the eastern shore of Lake Mendota and is part of the Madison metropolitan area. Maple Bluff is the site of the Wisconsin Governor's Mansion, the residence of the governor of Wisconsin and their family. The Robert M. La Follette House is also in Maple Bluff.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 1,313 to 1,368 (+4%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Maple Bluff, 1849 to 1964
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Maple Bluff is more historic than 94% 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 Maple Bluff?
Two places: the Robert M. LaFollette House (listed 1966) and the Maple Bluff Boy Scout Cabin (2017).
How old are the homes in Maple Bluff?
40% of Maple Bluff’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±10.0 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1947.
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), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2) 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.
★ Landmark
2014
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2014
2004
