Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns · #3 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 228 buildings. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1850.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Belvidere is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #3 of 468 in New Jersey. All 2 inputs put Belvidere near the top nationally; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Belvidere’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 Belvidere’s 898 sits above most of its state (97% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 228 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±11.4 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Belvidere’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Belvidere. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1891Delaware Water Gap 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 Belvidere.
The story so far
Belvidere, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Belvidere yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Belvidere is a town in and the county seat of Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 2,520, a decrease of 161 (−6.0%) from the 2010 census count of 2,681, which in turn reflected a decline of 90 (−3.2%) from the 2,771 counted in the 2000 census. Belvidere was incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 7, 1845, from portions of Oxford Township, based on the results of a referendum held that day. The town's name is a misspelling of "beautiful to see" in Italian.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 2,681 to 2,520 (-6%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Belvidere, 1886–1929
Passages that mention Belvidere, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History and directory of Warren County, New Jersey1929 · page 9GRead the page →
Read the text
The business activities of Belvidere have always depended in a great measure on the presence of the Delaware River and the Pequest Creek. In 1911, Belvidere ranked second in the state with respect to the development of water power. The present Delaware bridge was built in 1904, after the great flood of October, 1903, had washed away all but the foundations of the old wooden arch bridge, built in 1834-36.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History and directory of Warren County, New Jersey1929 · page 17Read the page →
is an inland town, lying among th<' picturesque hills and surrounded by smiling valleys, and is a i<!rminus of tlie o'id Hoiie and Elizabeth turn, pike. It is 12 miles ivom the famous Water Gap, 16 from Newton, 9 from Belvidere, and about 6 each from Blairstown, Delaware Station, and Hridgevillfe, whicli arc its nearest railroad stations. A stajfo, carryuig the mail, runs daily to tlic last named place; also one from Hope to Warringion. , One of Die peculiarities i)f Hie liistory of Hoi)e, is the conversion of the
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.
Timeline
Belvidere, 1798 to 1989
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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.
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.
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.
Belvidere is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #3 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 Belvidere?
One place: the Belvidere Historic District (listed 1980).
How old are the homes in Belvidere?
51% of Belvidere’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±11.4 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1938.
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 (10), the Library of Congress (2), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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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