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History · Gratz

Gratz’s history is
mostly unwritten

The public archives hold no old photos of Gratz. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.

1805established
0old images & papers
10recent photos

The story so far

from Wikipedia & the U.S. Census

Gratz is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 743 at the time of the 2020 census, a decline from the figure of 765 in 2010. It is part of the Harrisburg metropolitan area.

Gratz was established in 1805. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 765 to 743 (-3%). Half of its homes were built before 1938.

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Gratz yet — the old photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Intro from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Population and housing: U.S. Census Bureau.

Be one of the first

Start Gratz’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Gratz’s history is told.

0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Famous people from Gratz

See all 1 →
Carl ScheibCarl ScheibSports
By decade

Gratz, decade by decade

Before
2000
No old photos in the archives yetWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
📷 Add from your album
Today10 photos
Simeon United Lutheran Church, Gratz, PA (2), June 2025CommonsSimeon United Lutheran Church, Gratz, PA (2), June 20252025Simeon United Lutheran Church, Gratz, PA (1), June 2025CommonsSimeon United Lutheran Church, Gratz, PA (1), June 20252025Gratz, PA water tower, June 2025CommonsGratz, PA water tower, June 20252025Gratz, PA post office, June 2025CommonsGratz, PA post office, June 20252025Gratz, PA post office and fire department, June 2025CommonsGratz, PA post office and fire department, June 20252025Gratz, PA community center, June 2025CommonsGratz, PA community center, June 20252025Gratz, PA Borough Park, June 2025CommonsGratz, PA Borough Park, June 20252025Gratz welcome signs along PA 25 eb, June 2025CommonsGratz welcome signs along PA 25 eb, June 20252025Former service station, Gratz, PA, June 2025CommonsFormer service station, Gratz, PA, June 20252025Clothing store, Gratz, PA, June 2025CommonsClothing store, Gratz, PA, June 20252025
National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in Gratz is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Gratz has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is GAR Building in Lykens, 2.8 miles away.

Gratz and the nearest listed places

Dashed line = Gratz. Tap a dot.
GAR BuildingBridge in Lykens Township No. 1Hotel LykensIsrael BuildingBridge in Lykens Township No. 2Henniger Farm Covered Bridge

Closest to Gratz

GAR BuildingLykens · Building2.8miBridge in Lykens Township No. 1Lykens · Structure2.8miHotel LykensLykens · Building2.9miIsrael BuildingLykens · Building2.9miBridge in Lykens Township No. 2Lykens · Structure3.2mi

How a place gets listed

1Talk to the stateEvery nomination goes through the State Historic Preservation Office. Owners, towns and historical societies can start one.
2Try a local or state list firstMany states keep their own register with a shorter form, a common first step for old barns, halls and schoolhouses.
3Write it upA nomination covers the history, photos and a map. GAR Building’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in Gratz?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to Gratz’s story, or a memory of it.
📷 Add a photo of an old place
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places · photos from Wikimedia Commons

Then & now

When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.

Stories next door

nearby towns’ history
📜 Lykens📜 Wiconisco📜 Lykens📜 Jordan

From Wikimedia Commons (10). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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