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CHistory
History · Clark Township

Clark Township dates to 1864, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 31% of U.S. towns · #401 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

Most of Clark Township was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1961. Its Register listings are the Seventeenth Century Clark House and the Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1870.

1864founded
2on the National Register
5%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Clark Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Clark Township began

When was Clark Township founded?

1864

Clark Township dates its founding to 1864 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 331 in 18702020 census: 15,544162 years

How historic is Clark Township?

C

More historic than 31% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Clark Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Clark Township is more historic than 31% of U.S. towns, #401 of 468 in New Jersey. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Clark Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1864, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19404.6% of homes (±2.7) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register2 listings, 1.3 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 31%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 14%

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 Clark Township’s 1.3 sits near the middle of its state (35% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to C. The pre-1940 share (±2.7 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1864.

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 Clark Township’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 18888 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1995. Watch Clark Township change.Old housesHalf of Clark Township’s homes were built before 1961.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Clark Township’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo2 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewUnionCounty 1923res: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Clark Township on the map, 1888 to 1995

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

Clark Township on the 1888 USGS mapClark Township on the 1893 USGS mapClark Township on the 1905 USGS mapClark Township on the 1921 USGS mapClark Township on the 1956 USGS mapClark Township on the 1970 USGS mapClark Township on the 1981 USGS mapClark Township on the 1995 USGS map1888Plainfield 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 Clark Township.

The story

How Clark Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Clark Township.

Read it all →

The territory that would become Clark was originally a part of several early settlements. The Robinson Plantation House and The Squire Hartshorne House, buildings from the late 17th century, are remnants of the era. The Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge was the site of a skirmish preceding the Battle of Short Hills. In 1858, after the City of Rahway was incorporated, the area of present-day Clark was designated as the 5th Ward of Rahway. Clark was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 23, 1864, from portions of Rahway. The township was named for Abraham Clark, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Portions of the township were taken to form Cranford (March 14, 1871) and Winfield Township (August 6, 1941).

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Clark Township, 1864 to 1984

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1864
    FoundingClark Township is established
  3. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  4. 20th century
  5. 1947Born hereFrank Spaziani is born here
  6. 1970Born hereTodd Burger is born here
  7. 1982Born hereRob Petitti is born here
  8. 1984Born hereMatt Poskay is born here
By decade

Clark Township, decade by decade

Date unknown2 to date
Census Bureau map of Clark, New JerseyDate?Census Bureau map of Clark, New JerseyMapUnionCounty 1923resDate?UnionCounty 1923res
Today11 recent
Clark, NJ public library, Oct. 20242024Clark, NJ public library, Oct. 2024Clark, NJ police department and municipal court, Oct. 20242024Clark, NJ police department and municipal court, Oct.…Clark, NJ municipal building, Oct. 20242024Clark, NJ municipal building, Oct. 2024Arthur L. Johnson High School, Clark, NJ (2), Oct. 20242024Arthur L. Johnson High School, Clark, NJ (2), Oct. 20…Arthur L. Johnson High School, Clark, NJ (1), Oct. 20242024Arthur L. Johnson High School, Clark, NJ (1), Oct. 20…The Robinson's Branch Reservoir in Clark, New Jersey in 20202020The Robinson's Branch Reservoir in Clark, New Jersey …Mother Seton Regional High School2017Mother Seton Regional High SchoolWilliamRobinsonPlantationHouse2011WilliamRobinsonPlantationHouseHOMESTEAD FARM AT OAK RIDGE, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ2008HOMESTEAD FARM AT OAK RIDGE, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJAmerican Legion, Clark2008American Legion, ClarkClark twp nj 0392005Clark twp nj 039
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.

UnionCounty 1923res
Retake this viewUnionCounty 1923res

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

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 historic places in Clark Township

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

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1974
Seventeenth Century Clark House
Seventeenth Century Clark HouseHomestead Farm at Oak Ridge
Buildings
Seventeenth Century Clark HouseBuilding
Homestead Farm at Oak RidgeBuilding

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

People over time

Clark Township, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 18,829

Between 331 and 18,829 people in every census since 1870.

16 censuses, 1870–2020.

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

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Clark Township

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

See all →
Frank SpazianiAmerican college football player, college footb… · b. 1947
T
Todd BurgerAmerican football player · b. 1970
M
Matt PoskayAmerican lacrosse player · b. 1984
R
Rob PetittiPlayer of American football · b. 1982
Places that used to be

Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Madison Hill
Gone or out of use
Ash Brook StationlocaleLocust Grove Country ClublocaleRaritan Road Riding AcademyschoolWestfield Airportairport
1cemetery inside Clark Township
Hazelwood

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Scotch Plains Township6 historic placesB+Winfield TownshipIts storyDRahway2 historic placesBCranford Township2 historic placesBLindenIts storyC+

Questions about Clark Township’s history

What year was Clark Township founded?

In 1864, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1870 counted 331 people here.

How does Clark Township rank for history?

Clark Township is more historic than 31% of U.S. towns, #401 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 Clark Township?

Two places: the Seventeenth Century Clark House (listed 1974) and the Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge (1995).

How old are the homes in Clark Township?

5% of Clark Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.7 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1961.

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 (13), 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) 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.