Most of Washington was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1991. Its Register listing is the Meldahl House. Below: maps from 1904 on and the census since 2000.
The Washington post office opened in 1885, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Scott (1882), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 1,170 in 20002020 census: 1,151141 years
How historic is Washington?
C−
More historic than 21% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Washington post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Washington’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Washington is more historic than 21% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Washington’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 Washington’s 8.8 sits near the middle of its state (51% of West Virginia 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 D to C. The pre-1940 share (±1.9 points) is firm at this size. 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 Washington’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
A commemorative marker located near the Washington, WV, post office reads;
"George Washington acquired 2,314 acres of this land in Washington Bottom by a grant, dated December 15, 1772, issued to him by John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, last Royal Governor of Virginia.
Washington obtained this tract for services in the French and Indian War, upon a survey made by William Crawford, in June 1771. It borders on the Ohio River five miles and one hundred and twenty poles.
this county as Neal's Station. This was the tirst block-house aud station built in this county. Between that date and 1796soveral blockhouses were built in this county, as well as on the opposite side of the Ohio river in the county of Washington. These houses became the place of rendezvous of the few inhabitants who had settled here, while the Indian war was carried on, up to the year 1795, when the treaty of peace was made at Greenville, Ohio, after the victories of General Wayne.
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.
Timeline
Washington, 1882 to 1906
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Washington post office opened in 1885, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Washington rank for history?
Washington is more historic than 21% 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.
What is on the National Register in Washington?
One place: the Meldahl House (listed 1991).
How old are the homes in Washington?
0.0% of Washington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.9 points), against a typical 13% for a West Virginia town; the median home was built in 1991.
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 (4), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, 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 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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