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DHistory
History · Emerson

Emerson dates to 1903

More historic than 11% of U.S. towns · #462 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

Most of Emerson was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1960. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1900.

1903founded
0on the National Register
7%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Emerson’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Emerson began

When was Emerson founded?

1903

Emerson dates its founding to 1903 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 456 in 19002020 census: 7,290123 years

How historic is Emerson?

D

More historic than 11% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1877.
History grade

What drives Emerson’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Emerson is more historic than 11% of U.S. towns, #462 of 468 in New Jersey. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Emerson’s overall grade.
Founding era1903, from Wikidata: founded 1900–1944, an older era than 9% of U.S. townsDHomes built before 19406.9% of homes (±4.1) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%C+National RegisterNo listings counted · typical NJ town 3.7 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 11%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)#462 of 468

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 Emerson’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (12% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.1 points). Two sources give 1903.

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 Emerson’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 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18888 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1997. Watch Emerson change.Old housesHalf of Emerson’s homes were built before 1960.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Emerson’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Emerson’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 photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewBlauvelt House, Old Hook Road: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Emerson on the map, 1888 to 1997

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

Emerson on the 1888 USGS mapEmerson on the 1892 USGS mapEmerson on the 1900 USGS mapEmerson on the 1934 USGS mapEmerson on the 1955 USGS mapEmerson on the 1970 USGS mapEmerson on the 1981 USGS mapEmerson on the 1997 USGS map1888Paterson 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 Emerson.

The story so far

Emerson, in brief

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

Emerson is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, a suburb in the New York City metropolitan area. Emerson is the southernmost municipality in an area of the county known as the Pascack Valley. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,290, a decrease of 111 (−1.5%) from the 2010 census count of 7,401, which in turn reflected an increase of 204 (+2.8%) from the 7,197 counted in the 2000 census. What is now Emerson was originally formed on April 8, 1903, from portions of Washington Township as the Borough of Etna, the name of a railroad station in the community. The name was changed to Emerson as of March 9, 1909.} The name came from author Ral…

Emerson was established in 1903. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 7,401 in 2010, 7,290 in 2020.

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

Timeline

Emerson, 1877 to 1989

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1877Post officeThe Etna post office opens
  3. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  4. 20th century
  5. 1903
    FoundingEmerson is established
  6. 1909Post officeThe Etna post office closes
  7. 1909Post officeThe Emerson post office opens
  8. 1955Born hereKevin Higgins is born here
  9. 1960Born hereAron Abrams is born here
  10. 1989Born hereNicki Gross is born here
By decade

Emerson, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
Blauvelt House, Old Hook RoadDate?Blauvelt House, Old Hook Road
Today5 recent
Emerson, NJ municipal building, Nov. 20252025Emerson, NJ municipal building, Nov. 2025Emerson, NJ Senior Center, Nov. 20252025Emerson, NJ Senior Center, Nov. 2025Armenian Genocide Memorial - Emerson - New Jersey - USA - 022012Armenian Genocide Memorial - Emerson - New Jersey - U…Armenian Genocide Memorial - Emerson - New Jersey - USA - 012012Armenian Genocide Memorial - Emerson - New Jersey - U…Census Bureau map of2008Census Bureau map ofMap
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.

Blauvelt House, Old Hook Road
Retake this viewBlauvelt House, Old Hook Road

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

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Emerson, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 8,428

Between 456 and 8,428 people in every census since 1900.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

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

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Emerson

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

See all →
N
Nicki GrossAssistant coach · b. 1989
A
Aron AbramsAmerican television producer, writer · b. 1960
K
Kevin HigginsAmerican football player and coach · b. 1955
Places that used to be

Lost post offices and burying grounds

Emerson’s post office has been open since 1909. Another post office, Etna, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Etna
1877–1909
Emerson
1909–today
18701950today
1cemetery inside Emerson
Cedar Park

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). 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.

Haworth4 historic placesB+Westwood1 historic placeBRiver Vale Township2 historic placesC+Oradell6 historic placesB+Closter10 historic placesB+Harrington Park4 historic placesB−Paramus6 historic placesCWashington Township2 historic placesB

Questions about Emerson’s history

What year was Emerson founded?

In 1903, according to Wikidata. Emerson’s post office opened in 1877, and the census of 1900 counted 456 people here.

How does Emerson rank for history?

Emerson is more historic than 11% of U.S. towns, #462 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.

How old are the homes in Emerson?

7% of Emerson’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.1 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1960.

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 (5), the Library of Congress (1), 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) 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.