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BHistory
History · Galloway Township

Galloway Township dates to 1774, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 58% of U.S. towns · #261 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

Most of Galloway Township was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. Its Register listing is the Smithville Apothecary. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1810.

1774founded
1on the National Register
5%homes built before 1940
3old photos & papers
5famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Galloway Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Galloway Township began

When was Galloway Township founded?

1774

Galloway Township dates its founding to 1774 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1810.

First census: 1,648 in 18102020 census: 37,813252 years

How historic is Galloway Township?

B

More historic than 58% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1827.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Galloway Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Galloway Township is more historic than 58% of U.S. towns, #261 of 468 in New Jersey. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Galloway Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1774, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 19404.8% of homes (±1.6) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register1 listing, 0.3 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 58%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 44%

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 Galloway Township’s 0.3 sits below most of its state (25% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share (±1.6 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1774.

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 Galloway Township’s past

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

Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Galloway Township, and 16 old place names are still on the map.A history waiting to be writtenOnly 3 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18877 editions of the USGS map, 1887 to 1995. Watch Galloway Township change.Shrank, then grewLost a third of its people between 1830 and 1910, then grew more than tenfold.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

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

Leeds Point
1827–today
Oceanville
1874–today
Poinerania
1880–1929
Cologne
1892–today
Absecon Heights
1910–1921
Pomona
1929–today
18201920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Absecon HighlandsCologneConovertownGermaniaGermania GardensHigbeevilleJohnsontownLeeds PointOceanvilleOyster CreekPinehurstPomonaSeaview ParkSmithvilleSouth Egg HarborVienna Gardens
Gone or out of use
Absecon Highland SchoolschoolSmithville Airportairport
1cemetery inside Galloway Township
Germania

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

Help out

Start Galloway Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Galloway Township’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 photo3 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewGALLOWAYTWP: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Galloway Township on the map, 1887 to 1995

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

Galloway Township on the 1887 USGS mapGalloway Township on the 1894 USGS mapGalloway Township on the 1940 USGS mapGalloway Township on the 1952 USGS mapGalloway Township on the 1972 USGS mapGalloway Township on the 1989 USGS mapGalloway Township on the 1995 USGS map1887Atlantic City 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 Galloway Township.

The story

How Galloway Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Galloway Township.

Read it all →

The Township of Galloway was created by a Royal Patent issued by King George III of Great Britain on April 4, 1774. At that time it was part of Gloucester County, and encompassed what are now Hammonton, Mullica Township, Egg Harbor City, Port Republic, Brigantine, Atlantic City, and the northern portion of Absecon. Galloway Township was incorporated by the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as one of the state's initial group of 104 townships under the Township Act of 1798.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Galloway Township in 1915

Passages that mention Galloway Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.

From it have been taken the various municipalities which comprise Atlantic County, starting with Galloway Township in 1774, which cut off from the northeastern portion or approximately that portion northeast of the Camden and Atlantic Railroad. Then Weymouth Township in 1798, which took that portio…
Early history of Atlantic County, New Jersey1915 · page 86Read the page →
Read the text

From it have been taken the various municipalities which comprise Atlantic County, starting with Galloway Township in 1774, which cut off from the northeastern portion or approximately that portion northeast of the Camden and Atlantic Railroad. Then Weymouth Township in 1798, which took that portion between the Tuckahoe River and the Great Egg Harbor River. Then Hamilton Township in 1813, which took that portion northwest of Miry Run. Mullica was formed from Gallo-

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

Galloway Township, 1774 to 2020

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1774
    FoundingGalloway Township is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1827Post officeThe Leeds Point post office opens
  5. 1874Post officeThe Oceanville post office opens
  6. 1880Post officeThe Poinerania post office opens
  7. 1887On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 20th century
  9. 1929Post officeThe Poinerania post office closes
  10. 1990Born hereSamuel Ojserkis is born here
  11. 1994Born hereAustin Johnson is born here
  12. 1994Born hereErica Skroski is born here
  13. 21st century
  14. 2002Born hereNessa Barrett is born here
  15. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 37,813
By decade

Galloway Township, decade by decade

Date unknown3 to date
Census Bureau map of Galloway Township, New JerseyDate?Census Bureau map of Galloway Township, New JerseyMapGALLOWAYTWPDate?GALLOWAYTWPGENERAL VIEW OF SOUTH FACADE LOOKING NORTHWEST - Smithville Inn, 3 North New York Road, Smithville, Atlantic County, NJDate?GENERAL VIEW OF SOUTH FACADE LOOKING NORTHWEST - Smit…
Today30 recent
South Egg Harbor, NJ Volunteer Fire Company, Sept. 20252025South Egg Harbor, NJ Volunteer Fire Company, Sept. 20…Galloway Township, NJ Municipal Complex (2), Nov. 20252025Galloway Township, NJ Municipal Complex (2), Nov. 2025Galloway Township, NJ Municipal Complex (1), Nov. 20252025Galloway Township, NJ Municipal Complex (1), Nov. 2025Church of the Assumption, Galloway Township, NJ, Nov. 20252025Church of the Assumption, Galloway Township, NJ, Nov.…Renault Winery ad along US 30-CR 563 in Galloway Twp., NJ, Dec. 20242024Renault Winery ad along US 30-CR 563 in Galloway Twp.…Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) Edwin B Forsythe NWR2022Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) Edwin B Forsythe NWR2021-07-21 14 56 36 Sunflower along New Jersey State Route 444 (Garden State Parkway) at U.S. Route 30 (White Horse Pik…20212021-07-21 14 56 36 Sunflower along New Jersey State …2021-07-21 14 56 22 Sunflower along New Jersey State Route 444 (Garden State Parkway) at U.S. Route 30 (White Horse Pik…20212021-07-21 14 56 22 Sunflower along New Jersey State …2021-07-21 14 56 16 Sunflowers along New Jersey State Route 444 (Garden State Parkway) at U.S. Route 30 (White Horse Pi…20212021-07-21 14 56 16 Sunflowers along New Jersey State…2021-07-21 14 56 12 Sunflowers along New Jersey State Route 444 (Garden State Parkway) at U.S. Route 30 (White Horse Pi…20212021-07-21 14 56 12 Sunflowers along New Jersey State…2020-10-13 09 00 03 View east-southeast across salt marshes within the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge from …20202020-10-13 09 00 03 View east-southeast across salt m…2020-10-13 08 58 44 View southeast across salt marshes within the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge from Atlan…20202020-10-13 08 58 44 View southeast across salt marshe…2018-09-14 15 59 48 View west-southwest along a tidal stream within the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge from…20182018-09-14 15 59 48 View west-southwest along a tidal…2018-09-14 15 59 36 View northeast along a tidal stream within the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge from Atla…20182018-09-14 15 59 36 View northeast along a tidal stre…2018-09-14 15 56 30 View east-southeast across salt marshes within the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge from …20182018-09-14 15 56 30 View east-southeast across salt m…2018-09-14 15 55 23 View north-northwest across salt marshes within the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge from…20182018-09-14 15 55 23 View north-northwest across salt …2018-09-14 15 55 09 View south-southwest across salt marshes within the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge from…20182018-09-14 15 55 09 View south-southwest across salt …2018-09-14 15 55 00 View south across salt marshes within the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge from Atlantic …20182018-09-14 15 55 00 View south across salt marshes wi…2018-09-14 15 52 39 View south-southeast across salt marshes within the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge from…20182018-09-14 15 52 39 View south-southeast across salt …2018-09-14 15 52 28 View south-southeast across salt marshes within the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge from…20182018-09-14 15 52 28 View south-southeast across salt …2018-09-14 15 52 11 View north across salt marshes within the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge from Atlantic …20182018-09-14 15 52 11 View north across salt marshes wi…Noyes Museum Interior2015Noyes Museum InteriorNoyes Museum Front2015Noyes Museum FrontNoyes Museum Front 22015Noyes Museum Front 2Noyes Museum Back2015Noyes Museum BackNoyes Museum Back 22015Noyes Museum Back 2Storm damage at New Jersey marina2012Storm damage at New Jersey marinaAerial photo of marina near Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (NJ)2012Aerial photo of marina near Edwin B. Forsythe Nationa…Little Egret Forsythe Nwr New Jersey2009Little Egret Forsythe Nwr New JerseyGalloway twp nj 0012005Galloway twp nj 001
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.

GALLOWAYTWP
Retake this viewGALLOWAYTWP

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

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Galloway Township

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

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1978
Smithville Apothecary
Smithville Apothecary
Buildings
Smithville ApothecaryBuilding

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

People over time

Galloway Township, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00018501900195020002,960 in 1830Low: 1,976

Lost a third of its people between 1830 and 1910, then grew more than tenfold.

22 censuses, 1810–2020.

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

Famous people

5 famous people were born in Galloway Township

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

See all →
Nessa BarrettAmerican singer · b. 2002
Austin JohnsonAmerican football player · b. 1994
E
Erica SkroskiAmerican soccer player · b. 1994
Samuel OjserkisAmerican rower · b. 1990
V
Vincent J. PolistinaMember of the New Jersey General Assembly · b. 1971
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Port Republic2 historic placesAEgg Harbor Township1 historic placeBPomonaIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBrigantineIts storyC+Atlantic City14 historic placesB+Bass River TownshipIts storyC+Little Egg Harbor TownshipIts storyD−Washington Township1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townSmithville1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townHamilton Township4 historic placesA−

Questions about Galloway Township’s history

What year was Galloway Township founded?

In 1774, according to Wikidata. Galloway Township’s post office opened in 1827, and the census of 1810 counted 1,648 people here.

How does Galloway Township rank for history?

Galloway Township is more historic than 58% of U.S. towns, #261 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 Galloway Township?

One place: the Smithville Apothecary (listed 1978).

How old are the homes in Galloway Township?

5% of Galloway Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.6 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1987.

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 (33), 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 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.