Prosperity’s post office opened in 1878, and 19% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 37% of U.S. towns. What drives it
How Prosperity began
When was Prosperity founded?
The Prosperity post office opened in 1878, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Cranberry (1906), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
How historic is Prosperity?
More historic than 37% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
What drives Prosperity’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Prosperity is more historic than 37% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull 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 Prosperity’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (17% of West Virginia towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% 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 →
Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds
Prosperity’s post office has been open since 1878. Another post office, Cranberry, 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).
Questions about Prosperity’s history
What year was Prosperity founded?
The Prosperity post office opened in 1878, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Prosperity rank for history?
Prosperity is more historic than 37% 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.
How old are the homes in Prosperity?
19% of Prosperity’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±18.3 points), against a typical 13% for a West Virginia town; the median home was built in 1958.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Where this page comes from
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 the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) 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.