Delaware Township dates to 1657, and 22% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 96% of U.S. towns · #34 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
20 places in town are on the National Register, among them six historic districts with 325 buildings between them. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1943 on, and the census since 1840.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1817.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Delaware Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Delaware Township is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #34 of 468 in New Jersey. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Delaware 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 Delaware Township’s 710 sits above most of its state (96% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 325 historic buildings outnumber those of 96% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1657.
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 (±7.8 points).
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Delaware Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The township was first settled in the early 18th century by Colonel John Reading (1657–1717), who was instrumental in the creation of Amwell Township in 1708 and also worked for the creation of Hunterdon County in 1714. The Township adjoins the Delaware River on the southwestern portion of Hunterdon County, which provides its name. The state's lone surviving historic covered bridge, Green Sergeant's Covered Bridge, crosses the Wickecheoke Creek between Sergeantsville and Rosemont. The Delaware and Raritan Canal parallels the Delaware River along the southern border of the township. Sergeantsville is at the township's center and includes the municipal building, local public school and Post Office. A "Thanksgiving in the Country" offers a tour of notable homes in Sergeantsville, which raises funds for the Facial Reconstruction Unit of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Delaware Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1943Stockton sheet · 1:31,680
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Delaware Township.
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.
Retake this viewView from the hill at Bordentown, 1816
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Delaware Township’s page.
In 1657, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Delaware Township’s post office opened in 1817, and the census of 1840 counted 2,305 people here.
How does Delaware Township rank for history?
Delaware Township is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #34 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 Delaware Township?
20 listings: 6 historic districts with 325 contributing buildings and 14 structures. 325 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Delaware Township?
22% of Delaware Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.8 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1981.
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 the Library of Congress (3), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (20), Wikipedia, 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.
