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B+History
History · Frankford Township

Frankford Township dates to 1797, and 13% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 70% of U.S. towns · #177 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 2 buildings. Below: maps from 1888 on and the census since 1810.

1797founded
1on the National Register
13%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Jared Kofsky/PlaceNJ.com · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Frankford Township began

When was Frankford Township founded?

1797

Frankford Township dates its founding to 1797 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1810.

First census: 1,637 in 18102020 census: 5,302229 years

How historic is Frankford Township?

B+

More historic than 70% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1812.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Frankford Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Frankford Township is more historic than 70% of U.S. towns, #177 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.

B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Frankford Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1797, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194013.1% of homes (±3.6) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register1 listing, 2 historic buildings, 3.8 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 70%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 62%

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 Frankford Township’s 3.8 sits near the middle of its state (50% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 2 historic buildings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1797.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.6 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 Frankford Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Lost villages4 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Frankford Township, and 9 old place names are still on the map.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Frankford Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1840 and 1900, then grew 5-fold.On the map since 18886 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1995. Watch Frankford Township change.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Four other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Augusta
1812–today
Coursenville
1824–1850
Wykertown
1839–1907
Pepokating
1851–1862
Papakating
1862–1923
18101920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
ArmstrongAugustaCulvers InletMount PisgahNorthrupPellettownPlainsRoss CornerWykertown
1cemetery inside Frankford Township
Branchville

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Start Frankford Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Frankford Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Frankford Township, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,00018501900195020002,410 in 1840Low: 932

Lost half of its people between 1840 and 1900, then grew 5-fold.

22 censuses, 1810–2020.

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

The story

How Frankford Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Frankford Township.

Read it all →

Most of Frankford Township is on the Ordovician Martinsburg Formation. This is a shale, slate, and limestone formation created 450 million years ago when a chain of volcanic islands collided with proto North America. This is a dark, almost black, shale. However the Jacksonburg formation rides over the Martinsburg shale in most areas. This shale is silver in color in the inside of the shale.

ChaptersGeologyPaleo IndiansLenape Native AmericansThe Little Ice Age and European contactEarly European settlementFrench and Indian War

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Frankford Township, 1786 to 2010

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1786Born hereCaleb Hopkins is born here
  3. 1797
    FoundingFrankford Township is established
  4. 19th century
  5. 1812Post officeThe Augusta post office opens
  6. 1824Post officeThe Coursenville post office opens
  7. 1839Post officeThe Wykertown post office opens
  8. 1850Post officeThe Coursenville post office closes
  9. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 20th century
  11. 1907Post officeThe Wykertown post office closes
  12. 21st century
  13. 2010CensusPopulation peaks at 5,565
By decade

Frankford Township, decade by decade

Today14 recent
Skylands Stadium - Photo by Dennis Mark2026Skylands Stadium - Photo by Dennis MarkOur Lady Queen of Peace R.C. Church, Frankford Township, NJ, Jan. 20262026Our Lady Queen of Peace R.C. Church, Frankford Townsh…Frankford Township, NJ Fire Department, Jan. 20262026Frankford Township, NJ Fire Department, Jan. 2026Frankford Township, Municipal Building, Jan. 20262026Frankford Township, Municipal Building, Jan. 2026Sussex County, NJ Main Library, Frankford Township, NJ, March 20252025Sussex County, NJ Main Library, Frankford Township, N…2018-07-26 11 16 47 A topped Norway Spruce growing a new top along Sussex County Route 519 (Morris Turnpike-Newton Aven…20182018-07-26 11 16 47 A topped Norway Spruce growing a …Skylands Stadium2016Skylands StadiumSkylands Stadium 32016Skylands Stadium 3Skylands Stadium 22016Skylands Stadium 2Skylands Park 22016Skylands Park 2Stokes View2013Stokes ViewCardinals 42010Cardinals 4Census Bureau map of Frankford Township, New Jersey2009Census Bureau map of Frankford Township, New JerseyMapFrankford twp nj2005Frankford twp nj
On the map

Frankford Township on the map, 1888 to 1995

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

Frankford Township on the 1888 USGS mapFrankford Township on the 1894 USGS mapFrankford Township on the 1943 USGS mapFrankford Township on the 1954 USGS mapFrankford Township on the 1971 USGS mapFrankford Township on the 1995 USGS map1888Franklin 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 Frankford Township.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Frankford Township

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1977
Log Cabin and Farm
Log Cabin and Farm
Districts
All 1 listings
Log Cabin and FarmDistrict · listed 1977

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Sandyston Township1 historic placeAHampton TownshipIts storyC−Wantage Township2 historic placesA−Ross CornerIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townLafayette Township1 historic placeA

Questions about Frankford Township’s history

What year was Frankford Township founded?

In 1797, according to Wikidata. Frankford Township’s post office opened in 1812, and the census of 1810 counted 1,637 people here.

How does Frankford Township rank for history?

Frankford Township is more historic than 70% of U.S. towns, #177 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 Frankford Township?

One place: the Log Cabin and Farm (listed 1977).

How old are the homes in Frankford Township?

13% of Frankford Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.6 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1973.

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 (14), 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) 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.