Alloway Township dates to 1767, and 24% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 92% of U.S. towns · #47 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Dickinson House and the Philip Fries House. Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 1810.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1826.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Alloway Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Alloway Township is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #47 of 468 in New Jersey. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Alloway Township’s overall grade.
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 Alloway Township’s 9.1 sits above most of its state (68% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1767.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±9.3 points).
Founding year: Wikidata (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 →
What stands out about Alloway Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Alloway Township
Aldine United MethodistAlloway Baptist
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
People over time
Alloway Township, census by census
Lost half of its people between 1870 and 1920, then more than doubled.
22 censuses, 1810–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Alloway Township’s Wikipedia page.
On the map
Alloway Township on the map, 1890 to 1970
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Alloway Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1890Salem sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Alloway Township.
What is now Alloway was formally incorporated as Upper Alloways Creek Township by a Royal charter granted on June 17, 1767, from portions of the now-defunct Alloways Creek Township. The township was formally incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Quinton Township was formed from portions of the township on February 18, 1873. The name was officially changed to Alloway Township as of February 21, 1884.
The name Alloway is derivative of Allowas, a local Native American chief.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1767, according to Wikidata. Alloway Township’s post office opened in 1826, and the census of 1810 counted 1,921 people here.
How does Alloway Township rank for history?
Alloway Township is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #47 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.
What is on the National Register in Alloway Township?
Two places: the Dickinson House (listed 1975) and the Philip Fries House (1990).
How old are the homes in Alloway Township?
24% of Alloway Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.3 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1975.
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 (8), the Library of Congress (8), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.