Despite additional privileges, granted to it by King Kazimierz Jagiellonczyk in 1467, Waśniów remained a small town, which furthermore burned in 80%, in a great fire in 1523.

The fire put an end to its development, and further destruction was brought by the Swedish invasion of Poland (1656), as well as the Great Northern War (1705).

Several skirmishes took place here between Russian soldiers and Polish rebels, and as a punishment, Waśniów was stripped of town charter in 1869.

Among points of interest at Waśniów is the parish Church of Saints Peter and Paul, whose existence was first mentioned in 1145.

In 1633, in a folwark called Gaj, located near Waśniów, a prominent Polish language poet Wespazjan Kochowski was born.