Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns · #1 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
44 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Johnson, S.C., and Son Administration Building and Research Tower, a National Historic Landmark, and nine historic districts with 867 buildings between them. Below: 14 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1850.
Racine dates its founding to 1699 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1850.
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Racine is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #1 of 362 in Wisconsin. All 3 inputs put Racine near the top nationally; its National Register listings ranks highest.
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 Racine’s 118 sits above most of its state (95% of Wisconsin towns have fewer) while its 913 historic buildings outnumber those of 98% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. One is a National Historic Landmark, the highest tier. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.
★ Landmark
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
From Wikipedia’s history of Racine.
Human prehistory in Racine began with Paleoindians after the last Ice Age. After the arrival of Europeans, the Historic period saw the Miami and later the Potawatomi expand into the area under the pressures of the French fur trade.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Racine, cut from the printed page as they were published.
aside their work, and began to buy and trade in village lots that were located in an unbroken forest. Racine was to be a great city, even three years before the land sales, and 1 have in my possession the estimated value of town lots in Racine, made Sept. i/th, 1836, which discloses the interesting fact, that at that time, the value of the property in what is now the original plat of Racine was $348,100. Upon the strength of such an assessment as that, what a pity they didn't issue some city bonds in anticipation of a railroad, via Balls Bluff, a charter for which was obtained in 1838!
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
By an act of the Legislature, passed January 2d, 1838. the three original towns in the present territory of Racine county were established, and their limits prescribed, namely: Racine, with the polls of election established at the hotel of John M. :Myers, in the village of Racine; Mount Pleasant, with the polls of election at the house of George F. Robinson, and Rochester, with the polls of election established at the house of Stebbins & Duncan, in the \-illage of Rochester, and also at Moses Smith's in Burlington.
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.
In the archiveMap Of Racine, LH PositionBuiltRacine Harbor Lighthouse and Life Saving Station is builtBuiltFirst Presbyterian Church is builtBuiltEli R. Cooley House is built
In the archiveNorthern view of
In the archiveCase Residence
In the archiveRacine, Wisconsin, railway bridge, Root River
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born hereFredric March is born hereBuiltThomas P. Hardy House is built
Born hereEllen Corby is born here
Born hereCaron Butler is born here4 decades in the archive, from the 1790s to the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Racine. 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 Racine.
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.
1887Sheet 1 of 27Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Drag across each photo to compare.
1880TodayBetween 5,107 and 95,162 people in every census since 1850.
18 censuses, 1850–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Racine’s Wikipedia page.
Racine’s post office has been open since 1836.
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.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1699, according to Wikidata. Racine’s post office opened in 1836, and the census of 1850 counted 5,107 people here.
Racine is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #1 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.
44 listings: 35 buildings, among them the Johnson, S.C., and Son Administration Building and Research Tower (a National Historic Landmark since 1976), and the First Presbyterian Church (listed 1973, the first), and 9 historic districts with 867 contributing buildings. 913 historic buildings in all.
34% of Racine’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.1 points), against a typical 12% for a Wisconsin town; the median home was built in 1953.
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 (7), the Library of Congress (7), Wikidata (10), the National Register of Historic Places (44), 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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