Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 78% of U.S. towns · #129 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Dr. Jonathan Pitney House, the Capt. Francis Babcock House and the John Doughty House. Its Register listings are the Dr. Jonathan Pitney House, the Capt. Francis Babcock House and the John Doughty House. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1880.
The Absecon post office opened in 1847, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1872. Another post office, Absecom (1807), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
More historic than 78% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Absecon is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns, #129 of 468 in New Jersey. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
New Jersey towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New Jersey town has 3.7 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Absecon’s 7.6 sits above most of its state (65% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 7 historic buildings outnumber those of 73% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Absecon’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Absecon. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Absecon.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1906Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
From Wikipedia’s history of Absecon.
The current City of Absecon was originally incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 29, 1872, from portions of Egg Harbor Township and Galloway Township. Then on March 24, 1902, the City of Absecon replaced the town. The city is named for the Absegami tribe of Native Americans, from the word "Absogami", which means "little stream".
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Absecon, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Absecon I find is spelled in several ways. In some histories, Absecombe and Absecom, also Absecum, called so by the Indians which in their language meant beach or place for swans, from the number which once resorted there. It is said that the whole Absecon tract originally belonged to one Thomas Budd who sold large tracts to actual settlers and each deed contained this clause, "With the privilege of cutting cedar and commomidge for cattell on ye swamps and beaches laid out by ye said Thomas
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In 1855, Absecon Circuit was set aside from the Bargaintown Circuit with Absecon, Oceanville, Smithville and Port Republic as preaching places. In 1862, Salem was added to the Absecon Circuit, and so continued until March 29, 1870, when it became an independent charge. The records state that grave fears were entertained for its ability to be self-supporting.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In the archiveSteamship Santiago de Cuba grounded on Abescom Beach, New Jersey
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born hereCleon Throckmorton is born here
In the archiveAero-view of Absecon, New Jersey 1924
In the archiveFrom New Inlet to Absecon Inlet3 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1970s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Absecon’s page.
Retake this view · +15The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Grew from 507 people in 1880 to 9,137 in 2020, more than tenfold.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Absecon’s Wikipedia page.
Absecon’s post office has been open since 1847. Another post office, Absecom, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Absecon post office opened in 1847, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1872.
Absecon is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns, #129 of 468 in New Jersey. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Three places: the Dr. Jonathan Pitney House (listed 1998), the Capt. Francis Babcock House (1999) and the John Doughty House (2002).
14% of Absecon’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.7 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1979.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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