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A−History
History · Caldwell

Caldwell’s post office opened in 1819, and 30% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 79% of U.S. towns · #120 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

Its Register listing is the Caldwell Presbyterian Church Manse. Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1900.

1819first post office
1on the National Register
30%homes built before 1940
12old photos & papers
8famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Caldwell’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Caldwell began

When was Caldwell founded?

1819

The Caldwell post office opened in 1819, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 1,367 in 19002020 census: 9,027207 years

How historic is Caldwell?

A−

More historic than 79% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Caldwell post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Caldwell’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Caldwell is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #120 of 468 in New Jersey. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Caldwell’s overall grade.
Founding era1819, from the first post office: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194030.4% of homes (±5.4) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%ANational Register1 listing, 1.1 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 79%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 75%

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 Caldwell’s 1.1 sits below most of its state (33% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.4 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.

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 →

What stands out about Caldwell’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

On the map since 18888 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1995. Watch Caldwell change.A town in old photos12 old photos, postcards and papers, 1884–1942.Deep rootsA post office since 1819: 207 years of Caldwell.Old housesHalf of Caldwell’s homes were built before 1959.
★ What stands out · On the map

Caldwell on the map, 1888 to 1995

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Caldwell. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Caldwell on the 1888 USGS mapCaldwell on the 1894 USGS mapCaldwell on the 1906 USGS mapCaldwell on the 1947 USGS mapCaldwell on the 1954 USGS mapCaldwell on the 1970 USGS mapCaldwell on the 1981 USGS mapCaldwell on the 1995 USGS map1888Morristown 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 Caldwell.

By decade

Caldwell, decade by decade

4 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1940s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s–1910s5 items
Mary G. Hill (Life of Mrs. S. J. C. Downs, 1892)1884Mary G. Hill (Life of Mrs. S. J. C. Downs, 1892)Oak Hill Sanitarium ("American medical directory", 1906 advert)1906Oak Hill Sanitarium ("American medical directory", 19…The birthplace of Grover Cleveland1916The birthplace of Grover ClevelandNavy - Gun Practice (Small arms & Misc.) - Naval Rifle Range, Caldwell, N.J. Target practice1917Navy - Gun Practice (Small arms & Misc.) - Naval Rifl…Navy - Training Stations - Caldwell, New Jersey [165-WW-340A-22]1917Navy - Training Stations - Caldwell, New Jersey [165-…
1940s7 items
Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. A batch of propeller blades is rushed from one operation to another by one …1942Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. A batch o…Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. American Negroes are contributing their skills to war production. This lath…1942Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. American …Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. Americans of various racial groups contribute to the war effort. One worker…1942Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. Americans…Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. Workers of many racial groups contribute their skills to war production. Th…1942Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. Workers o…Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. America draws its manpower from various races for the war production drive.…1942Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. America d…Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. America draws its manpower from various races for the war production drive.…1942Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. America d…Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. American industry develops skilled manpower from many racial groups. In les…1942Manpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. American …
1950s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Timeline

Caldwell, 1819 to 1987

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1819Post officeThe Caldwell post office opens
  3. 1837Born hereGrover Cleveland is born here
  4. 1884In the archiveMary G. Hill (Life of Mrs. S. J. C. Downs, 1892)
  5. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 20th century
  7. 1906In the archiveOak Hill Sanitarium ("American medical directory", 1906 advert)
  8. 1916In the archiveThe birthplace of Grover Cleveland
  9. 1936Born hereRichard E. Stearns is born here
  10. 1942In the archiveManpower. Negro aircraft propeller workers. A batch of propeller blades is rushed from on…
  11. 1961Born hereCamryn Manheim is born here
  12. 1987Born hereGerald Henderson Jr. is born here
The story

How Caldwell came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Caldwell.

Read it all →

In 1702, settlers purchased a 14,000 acres (57 km2) Horseneck Tract from the Lenape Native American tribe for goods equal to $325 (equivalent to $6,845.5 in 2025). This purchase encompassed much of western Essex County, from the First Mountain to the Passaic River at Pine Brook. Caldwell is located in the center of the Horseneck Tract. Settlement began about 1740 by Thomas Gould and Saunders Sanders.

ChaptersHistorical facts

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Caldwell in 1898

Passages that mention Caldwell, cut from the printed page as they were published.

the year 1740 that David Harrison removed from Orange, New Jersey, and located one half mile west of the village of Caldwell, where he secured a large tract of land. \\'ith unfaltering purpose and tireless energy he began the development of that property and at the beginning of the Revolution had a…
Biographical and genealogical history of the city of Newark and Essex County, New Jersey ..1898 · page 256Read the page →
Read the text

the year 1740 that David Harrison removed from Orange, New Jersey, and located one half mile west of the village of Caldwell, where he secured a large tract of land. \\'ith unfaltering purpose and tireless energy he began the development of that property and at the beginning of the Revolution had a considerable amount of

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.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Mary G. Hill (Life of Mrs. S. J. C. Downs, 1892)
Retake this viewMary G. Hill (Life of Mrs. S. J. C. Downs, 1892), 1884

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Caldwell’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Caldwell

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1977
Caldwell Presbyterian Church Manse
Caldwell Presbyterian Church Manse
Buildings
Caldwell Presbyterian Church ManseBuilding

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Caldwell, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00019001920194019601980200020209,027

Grew from 1,367 people in 1900 to 9,027 in 2020, 6 times over.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Caldwell’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

8 famous people were born in Caldwell

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Grover Cleveland22nd & 24th President of the United States (188… · b. 1837
C
Camryn ManheimAmerican actress · b. 1961
Richard E. StearnsAmerican computer scientist · b. 1936
Gerald Henderson Jr.American basketball player · b. 1987
S
Steve SchindlerAmerican football player · b. 1954
G
George DeGraw MooreAmerican politician and lawyer in Wisconsin · b. 1822
Help out

Finish Caldwell’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
3 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewMary G. Hill (Life of Mrs. S. J. C. Dow…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

West Caldwell Township1 historic placeCEssex FellsIts storyCNorth CaldwellIts storyC

Questions about Caldwell’s history

What year was Caldwell founded?

The Caldwell post office opened in 1819, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Caldwell rank for history?

Caldwell is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #120 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 Caldwell?

One place: the Caldwell Presbyterian Church Manse (listed 1977).

How old are the homes in Caldwell?

30% of Caldwell’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.4 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1959.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (4), the Library of Congress (8), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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 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.