Pila and adjacent towns along the shores of Laguna de Bay are considered by archaeologists as one of the oldest settlements in the Philippines.

Archaeologists recovered in Pinagbayanan potteries and artifacts that indicate considerable settlement in the area during the Late Tang dynasty (900 A.D.).

It is worthwhile to note that the oldest Philippine document, the 900 A.D. Laguna Copperplate Inscription, mentioned Pila (as Pailah) twice and its ruler Jayadewa.

Around 1375, due to some calamity of weather most probably flooding, the original seat of Pila had to be abandoned and the barangay transferred to Pagalangan, which signifies “the place of Reverence”.

The datu then farmed out the arable land among the nobles and the freemen who, in return, paid him an annual rent of a hundred ganta of rice Even before the coming of the Spaniards, Pila was already noted for its spiritual ambiance.

With the reorganization of the encomiendas in 1575, the tributes of Pila were granted to Don Hernando Ramirez on 29 July.

The Franciscans arrived in 1578 to evangelize the people of Pila and soon afterward built a church dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, the first Antonine house of worship in the Philippines.

The Franciscans established in Pila the second printing press in the Philippines in 1611 under the auspices of Tomas Pinpin and Domingo Loag.

The book was written and compiled by Fray Pedro de San Buenaventura and printed by Tomas Pinpin, the Prince of Filipino printers.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the town was transferred from Pagalangan to the present site of Santa Clara because of perennial flooding.

In the 2010 Philippine census, it has a population of 46,534 people with a total land area of 31.2 km2 (12.0 sq mi).

[22] It cited Pila as an early pre-Hispanic center of culture and trade in Laguna known as La Noble Villa de Pila and has been recognized as one of the country's more important archeological sites where clay potteries were discovered in excavations made in Pinagbayanan in 1967.

The foundation was also responsible for securing the declaration of the town as a National Historical Landmark, which was granted in the year 2000.

The declaration was formalized by the installation of a landmark in the middle of the open field adjacent to the museum on December 4, 2007, with former President Ramos as the guest of honor.

A number of them are still in pristine condition, preserved by the descendants of the original owners of the house while some are converted into shops and cafés.

A majority of the houses within the site are derelict but the town officials are taking action to restore these architectural treasures.

[26] Some of the old ancestral houses: In the popular culture, the town served as the location for the reality show, The Amazing Race Asia 2 of AXN, including daytime drama hit series Be Careful With My Heart, and primetime series Huwag Kang Mangamba both from the now-defunct ABS-CBN.

[27] The open field in front of the hall serves as a waiting spots for those with appointments to the mayor or any public official.

As a place situated along Laguna de Bay, Pila was an accessible area for foreign trade.

In Pila's case, the team members found traces of cremation practice in the site.