Its Register listing is the David V. Smith House. Its Register listing is the David V. Smith House. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 1880.
The Elmer post office opened in 1844, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1893. Another post office, Pittstown (1833), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 345 in 18802020 census: 1,347182 years
How historic is Elmer?
A
More historic than 93% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Elmer post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1893.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Elmer’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Elmer is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Elmer’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 Elmer’s 17.0 sits above most of its state (74% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 2 historic buildings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±9.0 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1893.
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 Elmer’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Elmer was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 28, 1893, from portions of Pittsgrove Township and Upper Pittsgrove Township, based on the results of a referendum held four days earlier.} The borough was named for Lucius Elmer a former judge who helped obtain a post office for the community during his service as Congressman.
Elmer is a dry town where alcohol is not permitted to be sold legally.
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.
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.
The Elmer post office opened in 1844, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1893.
How does Elmer rank for history?
Elmer is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns. 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 Elmer?
One place: the David V. Smith House (listed 1976).
How old are the homes in Elmer?
55% of Elmer’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.0 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1938.
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), 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 Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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