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History · Cedarville

Cedarville’s post office opened in 1805, and 62% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 1950.

1805first post office
0on the National Register
62%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Cedarville began

When was Cedarville founded?

1805

The Cedarville post office opened in 1805, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 1,009 in 19502020 census: 702221 years
Founding year: the first Cedarville post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Cedarville’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18904 editions of the USGS map, 1890 to 1972. Watch Cedarville change.Old housesHalf of Cedarville’s homes were built before 1938.Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1895 to 1928, drew every building in Cedarville.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Cedarville’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Cedarville’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Cedarville on the map, 1890 to 1972

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

Cedarville on the 1890 USGS mapCedarville on the 1942 USGS mapCedarville on the 1956 USGS mapCedarville on the 1972 USGS map1890Bridgeton 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 Cedarville.

The story so far

Cedarville, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Cedarville yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Cedarville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Lawrence Township, in Cumberland County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area for statistical purposes. As of the 2020 United States census, the CDP's population was 702.

Its first post office opened in 1805. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 776 to 702 (-10%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Cedarville in 1869

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

The church he built is now a separate station ; called from the name of the town near by, Fairton. Formerly it belonged to Cumberland circuit, and was then made a station in connection with Cedarville, where a society was formed in 1833 and a church edifice erected in 1836. Cedarville became a sepa…
History of the early settlement and progress of Cumberland County, New Jersey1869 · page 113Read the page →
Read the text

The church he built is now a separate station ; called from the name of the town near by, Fairton. Formerly it belonged to Cumberland circuit, and was then made a station in connection with Cedarville, where a society was formed in 1833 and a church edifice erected in 1836. Cedarville became a separate station in 1861.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Soon after they built a meeting-house at Cedarville, which, however, after a few years, was sold, and belongs now to the New School Presbyterians. In 1847 a society was organized in the old schoolhouse called "Friendship," on the road leading to Centreville; subsequentl}'- a new building was put up…
History of the early settlement and progress of Cumberland County, New Jersey1869 · page 118Read the page →
Read the text

Soon after they built a meeting-house at Cedarville, which, however, after a few years, was sold, and belongs now to the New School Presbyterians. In 1847 a society was organized in the old schoolhouse called "Friendship," on the road leading to Centreville; subsequentl}'- a new building was put up there and it is now connected with Bridgeton, Avhere a house was erected on Laurel Street in 1861. The members of the two number about 160. There are also small societies and places for preaching at Newport, Port

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

Cedarville, 1780 to 1890

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1780Born hereEphraim Bateman is born here
  3. 19th century
  4. 1844Born hereBenjamin Franklin Howell is born here
  5. 1876In the archiveCombination atlas map of Cumberland County, New Jersey
  6. 1878Born hereSamuel Alexander Kinnier Wilson is born here
  7. 1890On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Cedarville, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1870s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1870s2 items
Combination atlas map of Cumberland County, New Jersey1876Combination atlas map of Cumberland County, New JerseyMapCombination atlas map of Cumberland County, New Jersey1876Combination atlas map of Cumberland County, New JerseyMap
Today10 recent
Lawrence Township Municipal22024Lawrence Township Municipal2Lawrence Township Municipal12024Lawrence Township Municipal1CR 553 nb in Cedarville, NJ (2), Sept. 20242024CR 553 nb in Cedarville, NJ (2), Sept. 2024CR 553 nb in Cedarville, NJ (1), Sept. 20242024CR 553 nb in Cedarville, NJ (1), Sept. 2024County Route 553 - New Jersey2012County Route 553 - New JerseyCounty Route 553 - New Jersey2011County Route 553 - New JerseyCounty Route 553 - New Jersey2011County Route 553 - New JerseyCounty Route 553 - New Jersey2011County Route 553 - New JerseyCounty Route 553 - New Jersey2011County Route 553 - New JerseyCedarville cdp nj 0112005Cedarville cdp nj 011
Every building

Cedarville, building by building, 1895–1928

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.

Cedarville fire insurance map, 1895, sheet 11895Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

People over time

Cedarville, census by census

02004006008001,0001,2001960198020002020Peak: 1,095

Between 702 and 1,095 people in every census since 1950.

5 censuses, 1950–2020.

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

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Cedarville

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

See all →
Samuel Alexander Kinnier WilsonBritish neurologist · b. 1878
Ephraim BatemanAmerican politician · b. 1780
Benjamin Franklin HowellAmerican politician · b. 1844
J
John DavisAmerican sailor who received the Medal of Honor…
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Lawrence TownshipIts storyC+Fairfield Township3 historic placesA−

Questions about Cedarville’s history

What year was Cedarville founded?

The Cedarville post office opened in 1805, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (12), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.