The Great American Survey: A Slapdash Database of Historic Buildings

Founding:  1789 Parent county:  Chester Namesake:  The Delaware River Seat:  Chester (1789–1850); Media (1850–) Land area:  184 square miles Population (2020):  576,830 Population (historic):  9,469 (1790); 19,791 (1840); 39,403 (1870); 94,762 (1900); 280,264 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1790–1810; 1820–1970; 1990–2020 Subdivisions:  One city; 27 boroughs; ten CDPs; 21 townships National Register listings:   97 Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  49,106 (21.8%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  62.9% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  43.4% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  3.4% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  2.4% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $6,040 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $8,180 Average farmhouse size (1940):  7.4 rooms Number of farms (1920):  1,287 Average farm size (1920):  46.3 acres _________________________________________________________________________________   Chester  (ex-seat)   Namesake:  Chester, England Founding:  pre-1682 (founding

Founding:  1855 (declared in 1854) Parent counties:  Buffalo, Crawford, Jackson, and La Crosse Namesake:  The Trempealeau River Seat:  Galesville (1855–1876); Arcadia (1876–1877); Whitehall (1877–) Land area:  733 square miles Population (2020):  30,760 Population (historic):  2,560 (1860); 17,189 (1880); 23,114 (1900); 23,910 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1860–1900; 1910s; 1930s; 1970s; 1990–2020 Subdivisions:  Six cities; five villages; one CDP; 15 towns National Register listings:   18 Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  3,003 (22.9%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  59.3% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  7.1% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,737 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $2,042 Average farmhouse size (1940):  6.5 rooms Number of farms (1920):  3,138 Average farm size (1920):  86.1 acres Sources of settlement:  Norway, Germany, New York, Poland, Minnesota, and Sweden _________________________________________________________________________________   Whitehall

Founding:  1843 Parent parishes:  Concordia and Madison Namesake:  The Tensas River Seat:  St. Joseph (1843–) Land area:  603 square miles Population (2020):  4,147 Population (historic):  9,040 (1850); 12,419 (1870); 16,647 (1890); 17,060 (1910); 15,096 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1850–1860; 1870s; 1890s; 1920–1940 Subdivisions:  Two towns; one village National Register listings:   11 Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  148 (4.3%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  6.6% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  4.8% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  58.5% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  41.3% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $338 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $149 Average farmhouse size (1940):  3 rooms Number of farms (1920):  2,089 Average farm size (1920):  39.6 acres _________________________________________________________________________________   St. Joseph   Namesake:  Uncertain—perhaps St. Joseph Founding:  1842 (post office); 1843 (platting); 1901 (incorp

Founding:  1884 (declared in 1873) Parent county:  Pembina Namesake:  Charles Cavaleer, Minnesota librarian Seat:  Langdon (1884–) Land area:  1,489 square miles Population (2020):  3,704 Population (historic):  6,471 (1890); 15,659 (1910); 14,554 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1890–1910 Subdivisions:  12 towns; 40 townships National Register listings:   Three Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  352 (15.2%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  24.4% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  9.8% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  10.3% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,518 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $1,722 Average farmhouse size (1940):  5.5 rooms Number of farms (1920):  2,014 Average farm size (1920):  378.8 acres Sources of settlement:  Canada, Norway, Minnesota, France, Russia, and Germany _________________________________________________________________________________   Langdon   Namesake:  Robert Langdon, railroad official Founding:  1884 (platting); 1885 (incorporati

Founding:  1791 Parent county:  Albany Namesake:  Rensselaerswyck, estate of the Van Rensselaer family Seat:  Troy (1793–) Land area:  652 square miles Population (2020):  161,130 Population (historic):  30,442 (1800); 60,259 (1840); 99,549 (1870); 121,697 (1900); 119,781 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1800–1890; 1900s; 1920–1970; 1980s; 2000–2020 Subdivisions:  Two cities; six villages; seven CDPs; 14 towns National Register listings:   122 Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  21,695 (29.5%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  67.8% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  30.5% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  8.5% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  5.1% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $2,446 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $1,640 Average farmhouse size (1940):  7.5 rooms Number of farms (1920):  3,078 Average farm size (1920):  64.8 acres _________________________________________________________________________________   Troy   Namesake:  The ancient city of Troy Foundi