The Great American Survey: A Slapdash Database of Historic Buildings

Founding:  1749 Parent county:  Lancaster Namesake:  The city of York Seat:  York (1749–) Land area:  904 square miles Population (2020):  456,438 Population (historic):  37,535 (1790); 47,010 (1840); 76,134 (1870); 116,413 (1900); 167,135 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1790; 1800–2020 Subdivisions:  One city; 36 boroughs; 17 CDPs; 35 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  35,151 (19%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  75.1% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  32.9% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  5.2% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  3.1% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,784 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $1,606 Average farmhouse size (1940):  7 rooms Number of farms (1920):  7,818 Average farm size (1920):  53 acres _________________________________________________________________________________   York   Namesake:  York, England Founding: ...

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 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 ...

Founding:  1682 Parent county:  Unorganized territory Namesake:  The city of Philadelphia Seat:  Philadelphia (1682–) Land area:  134 square miles Population (2020):  1,603,797 Population (historic):  54,391 (1790); 258,037 (1840); 674,022 (1870); 1,293,697 (1900); 1,950,961 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1790–1920; 1940s Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  285,003 (41.2%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  51.8% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  16.9% Housing in disrepair (1950):  4.2% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $3,504 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $19,666 Number of farms (1920):  423 Average farm size (1920):  33.5 acres _________________________________________________________________________________   Philadelphia   Namesake:  A Greek neologism meaning "brotherly love" Founding:  1682 (platting); 1701 (incorporation); 1775 (post office) ________________________...

Founding:  1682 Parent county:  Unorganized territory Namesake:  Buckinghamshire, England Seat:  Bristol (1705–1726); Newtown (1726–1813); Doylestown (1813–) Land area:  604 square miles Population (2020):  646,538 Population (historic):  25,216 (1790); 48,107 (1840); 64,336 (1870); 71,190 (1900); 96,727 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1790–1830; 1840–1860; 1920–2000 Subdivisions:  24 boroughs; 15 CDPs; 31 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  26,960 (10.7%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  85.1% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  49.8% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  7.3% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  3.8% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $3,232 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $2,898 Average farmhouse size (1940):  6.9 rooms Number of farms (1920):  5,714 Average farm size (1920):  48 acres ____________________________________________________________________...

Founding:  1813 Parent counties:  Dauphin and Lancaster Namesake:  The city of Lebanon Seat:  Lebanon (1813–) Land area:  362 square miles Population (2020):  143,257 Population (historic):  16,988 (1820); 31,831 (1860); 38,476 (1880); 53,827 (1900); 67,103 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1820–2020 Subdivisions:  One city; seven boroughs; 14 CDPs; 18 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  14,004 (24.3%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  75.2% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  43.7% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  7.5% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  3.4% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,823 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $1,968 Average farmhouse size (1940):  7.3 rooms Number of farms (1920):  2,372 Average farm size (1920):  60.1 acres _________________________________________________________________________________   Lebanon   Namesake:  The...

Founding:  1752 Parent counties:  Lancaster and Philadelphia Namesake:  Berkshire, England  Seat:  Reading (1752–) Land area:  857 square miles Population (2020):  428,849 Population (historic):  30,189 (1790); 64,569 (1840); 106,701 (1870); 159,615 (1900); 231,717 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1790–2020 Subdivisions:  One city; 27 boroughs; 54 CDPs; 44 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  44,754 (26.8%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  73.7% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  37.3% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  5.1% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  2.8% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,986 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $1,938 Average farmhouse size (1940):  6.6 rooms Number of farms (1920):  6,089 Average farm size (1920):  58.3 acres _________________________________________________________________________________   Reading   Namesake:...

Founding:  1836 Parent counties:  Northampton and Pike Namesake:  James Monroe, U.S. president Seat:  Stroudsburg (1836–) Land area:  608 square miles Population (2020):  168,327 Population (historic):  9,879 (1840); 16,758 (1860); 20,175 (1880); 21,161 (1900); 28,286 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1840–1880; 1890–2010 Subdivisions:  Four boroughs; 12 CDPs; 16 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  7,992 (9.8%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  69.4% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  31.6% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  7.7% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  5.5% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $2,531 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $1,631 Average farmhouse size (1940):  6.8 rooms Number of farms (1920):  1,818 Average farm size (1920):  48.5 acres _________________________________________________________________________________ Stroudsburg Namesake:  Jaco...

Founding:  1800 Parent county:  York Namesake:  John Adams, U.S. president Seat:  Gettysburg (1800–) Land area:  519 square miles Population (2020):  103,852 Population (historic):  13,172 (1800); 23,044 (1840); 30,315 (1870); 34,496 (1900); 37,128 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1800–1900; 1910–2020 Subdivisions:  13 boroughs; 14 CDPs; 21 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  8,309 (19.6%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  85.8% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  33.4% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  3% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  2.4% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $1,673 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $1,554 Average farmhouse size (1940):  7.4 rooms Number of farms (1920):  3,451 Average farm size (1920):  63.3 acres _________________________________________________________________________________ Gettysburg Namesake:  Samuel Gettys, owner of the ...

Founding:  1773 Parent county:  Bedford Namesake:  Westmoreland, England Seat:   Hannastown (1773–1785); Greensburg (1785–) Land area:  1,028 square miles Population (2020):  354,663 Population (historic):  16,019 (1790); 42,699 (1840); 58,719 (1870); 160,175 (1900); 294,995 (1930) Periods of population growth:  pre-1790–1980 Subdivisions:  Seven cities; 38 boroughs; 21 CDPs; 21 townships Pre-1940 residences (estimated):  36,433 (21.4%) Pre-1940 housing survival rate:  55.9% Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940):  20.2% Farm housing in disrepair (1950):  7.8% Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950):  6.4% Average farmhouse value (1930):  $2,018 Average outbuilding value (1930):  $1,541 Average farmhouse size (1940):  6 rooms Number of farms (1920):  5,593 Average farm size (1920):  62.9 acres __________________________________________________________________________________...