New Holstein dates to 1848, and 21% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 80% of U.S. towns · #85 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Its Register listing is the Herman C. Timm House. Its Register listing is the Herman C. Timm House. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1894 on, and the census since 1890.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1850.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives New Holstein’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, New Holstein is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #85 of 362 in Wisconsin. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of New Holstein’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 New Holstein’s 3.3 sits near the middle of its state (63% of Wisconsin towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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 (±7.7 points). Two sources give 1848.
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 New Holstein’s past
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.
New Holstein is named after the German duchy of Holstein from which many early settlers emigrated. In 1848, 70 people from Hamburg, Germany emigrated to the New Holstein area, forming the basis of what would become the present city. Many settlers were intellectuals who feared an impending war as a result of competing claims to the territory. Settlers originally named the community Altona after the Altona, the biggest City in Holstein at the time, now Altona, Hamburg, Germany. As the amount of mail received in Altona increased, the United States Post Office wanted Altona to be renamed because the community's name was too close to Altoona in western Wisconsin.
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 1848, according to Wikidata. New Holstein’s post office opened in 1850, and the census of 1890 counted 426 people here.
How does New Holstein rank for history?
New Holstein is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #85 of 362 in Wisconsin. 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 New Holstein?
One place: the Herman C. Timm House (listed 1996).
How old are the homes in New Holstein?
21% of New Holstein’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.7 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1966.
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 (9), Wikidata (1), 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 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.
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