East Newark dates to 1895, and 40% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 84% of U.S. towns · #91 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them the Clark Thread Company Historic District, a National Historic Landmark, and a historic district with 33 buildings. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1947 on, and the census since 1900.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, East Newark is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #91 of 468 in New Jersey. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of East Newark’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 East Newark’s 132 sits above most of its state (88% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 33 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% 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 (±8.2 points). Two sources give 1895.
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 East Newark’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
The story so far
East Newark, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of East Newark yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
East Newark is a borough in the western part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough, a suburb of Newark, which sits across the Passaic River, is the second-smallest municipality by total area in the state. The Borough of East Newark was established on July 2, 1895, from portions of Kearny lying between the Erie Railroad's Newark Branch right of way and Harrison, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 2,594, an increase of 188 (+7.8%) from the 2010 census count of 2,406, which in turn reflected an increase of 29 (+1.2%) from the 2,377 counted in the 2000 census.
East Newark was established in 1895. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 2,406 to 2,594 (+8%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about East Newark in 1924
Passages that mention East Newark, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of the municipalities of Hudson County, New Jersey, 1630-19231924 · page 359Read the page →
Read the text
The three municipalities, the town of Kearny, borough of East Newark, and town of Harrison, forming the western border of Hudson county have grown rapidly during recent years into important factors in the industrial history of the county. Twenty-five years ago West Hudson was distinctly separated from the eastern side of the county, and its interests, socially, com-~ mercially, and in other ways, was largely identified with the city of Newark, lying on the opposite side of the Passaic river, in Essex county.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of the municipalities of Hudson County, New Jersey, 1630-19231924 · page 381Read the page →
Read the text
arate the upper section from Harrison, and in the Legislature of 1867 he succeeded in securing the adoption of an act creating the township of Kearny, the southerly boundary of which is identical with the present boundary between the borough of East Newark and Harrison, and the original boundary line set forth in the act of March, 1867. The first election of officers for the new township was held in the old Lodi Hotel, which was located on Harrison Turnpike, a short distance from the eastern boundary line of Harrison. It was a very complete election, as every
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
East Newark, 1836 to 1978
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.
In 1895, according to Wikidata. the census of 1900 counted 2,500 people here.
How does East Newark rank for history?
East Newark is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #91 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 East Newark?
One place: the Clark Thread Company Historic District (listed 1978).
How old are the homes in East Newark?
40% of East Newark’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.2 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1952.
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 (12), 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) 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.
★ Landmark
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