Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns. What drives it
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 144 buildings. Below: maps from 1913 on and the census since 1900.
The Mount Hope post office opened in 1873, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, Macdonald (1894) and Turkey Knob (1919), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Mount Hope is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
West Virginia towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical West Virginia town has 29.6 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Mount Hope’s 964 sits above most of its state (94% of West Virginia towns have fewer) while its 145 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (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.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Mount Hope’s history is told.
Peaked at 2,588 in 1950; 1,125 people lived here in 2020.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Mount Hope’s Wikipedia page.
From Wikipedia’s history of Mount Hope.
Early settlers came to Mount Hope to begin mining coal. Coal miners in Mount Hope continued to thrive for about 250 years, but ending due to the rise of mining in the Mid-west and closing entirely during the depression.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Mount Hope, cut from the printed page as they were published.
of copper wire for trolley and feed line purposes was erected, also new and later type of mining machines installed. The machine and .cpair shop was enlarged and finally moved to a fine new fireprou: building at Mount Hope, where they are now equipped to handle any repair or erecting job that may arise. A splendid new general office building was erected at Mount Hope, same being completed in 1915, on a site donated by the city of Mount Hope. Later a large warehouse, machine shop and foundry were constructed, which
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The mining developments began with the advent of the railroad and after that date the population increased and mines were opened in rapid succession. The town of Mount Hope was incorporated June 1, 1895. The following persons have in order held the office of mayor: P. Maynor, Robert Thurmond, H. J. Tucker, J. W.
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.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Mount Hope. 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 Mount Hope.
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.
1917Sheet 1 of 5Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Mount Hope’s post office has been open since 1873. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The Mount Hope post office opened in 1873, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Mount Hope is more historic than 85% 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.
Two places: the New River Company General Office Building (listed 2004) and the Mount Hope Historic District (2007).
32% of Mount Hope’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.0 points), against a typical 13% for a West Virginia town; the median home was built in 1951.
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 (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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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