Fairfield Township dates to 1697, and 14% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 84% of U.S. towns · #92 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Old Stone Church, the Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Church and the Spindrift Sailing Yacht. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 1810.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Fairfield Township is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #92 of 468 in New Jersey. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Fairfield 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 Fairfield Township’s 5.5 sits near the middle of its state (59% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1697.
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 (±4.1 points).
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 Fairfield Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost half of its people between 1880 and 1920, then grew 3-fold.
22 censuses, 1810–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Fairfield Township’s Wikipedia page.
On the map
Fairfield Township on the map, 1890 to 1972
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Fairfield Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1890Bridgeton 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 Fairfield Township.
The story so far
Fairfield Township, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Fairfield Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Fairfield Township is a township in Cumberland County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Vineland-Bridgeton metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Cumberland County for statistical purposes and which constitutes a part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 5,546, a decrease of 749 (−11.9%) from the 2010 census count of 6,295, which in turn reflected an increase of 12 (+0.2%) from the 6,283 counted in the 2000 census. Fairfield Township was formed by royal charter on May 12, 1697, from portions of the Cohansey Township area, while still part of Salem County, and was formed as a precinct in t…
Fairfield Township was established in 1697. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 6,295 to 5,546 (-12%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Fairfield Township in 1869
Passages that mention Fairfield Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of the early settlement and progress of Cumberland County, New Jersey1869 · page 118Read the page →
Read the text
A society was formed at Port Elizabeth in 1836, a meeting-house built in 1838, and there are now 19 members. The societv in Backneck, Fairfield Township, was formed in 1838, built a house in 1850, and has now 12 members. The Bridgeton society was formed in 1854, and the next year erected their meeting house in the southwestern part of the town.
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
Fairfield Township, 1697 to 2010
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 1697, according to Wikidata. Fairfield Township’s post office opened in 1806, and the census of 1810 counted 2,279 people here.
How does Fairfield Township rank for history?
Fairfield Township is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #92 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 Fairfield Township?
Three places: the Old Stone Church (listed 1977), the Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Church (1995) and the Spindrift Sailing Yacht (1982).
How old are the homes in Fairfield Township?
14% of Fairfield Township’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 1970.
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 (9), the Library of Congress (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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 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.
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2024
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2024
2024
2008
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