Princeton’s post office opened in 1838, and 35% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 93% of U.S. towns · #11 of 61 in West Virginia. What drives it
6 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 42 buildings between them. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1910 on, and the census since 1890.
Founding year: the first Princeton post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Princeton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Princeton is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns, #11 of 61 in West Virginia. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Princeton’s overall grade.
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 Princeton’s 81.9 sits above most of its state (71% of West Virginia towns have fewer) while its 47 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.7 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
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 →
What stands out about Princeton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Princeton was named after the Battle of Princeton in Princeton, New Jersey, where General Hugh Mercer, the namesake of Mercer County, had died. When the county was formed in 1837, William Smith donated 1.5 acres of land for the county courthouse in what would become Princeton. Princeton was incorporated on February 20, 1909.
Although Princeton did not see any major battles on its soil, there was the Battle of Pigeon Roost, or the Battle of Princeton Courthouse on May 17, 1862, a victory for the Confederates defending the Dublin railroad.
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Princeton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1916Bluefield 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 Princeton.
Every building
Princeton, building by building, 1910–1923
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.
Church of GodchurchDunbar SchoolschoolKnob Elementary SchoolschoolMemorial HospitalhospitalPrinceton AcademyschoolPrinceton HospitalhospitalThorn Elementary SchoolschoolUnion Churchchurch
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Princeton
OakwoodResthaven
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Princeton’s history
What year was Princeton founded?
The Princeton post office opened in 1838, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Princeton rank for history?
Princeton is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns, #11 of 61 in West Virginia. 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 Princeton?
6 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Dr. James W. Hale House (listed 1976, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Mercer Street Historic District and the Virginian Railway Yard Historic District, with 42 contributing buildings. 47 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Princeton?
35% of Princeton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.7 points), against a typical 13% for a West Virginia town; the median home was built in 1953.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (6), 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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