Gloucester Township dates to 1695, and 7 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 80% of U.S. towns · #117 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Most of Gloucester Township was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1979. 7 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 87 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1891 on, and the census since 1800.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1828.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Gloucester Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Gloucester Township is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #117 of 468 in New Jersey. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Gloucester 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 Gloucester Township’s 14.0 sits above most of its state (72% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 93 historic buildings outnumber those of 89% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1695.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A+. The pre-1940 share (±0.9 points) is firm at this size.
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 Gloucester Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Present Gloucester Township was one of the original townships that comprised old Gloucester County. It became the county's first political subdivision in 1685. The boundaries of Gloucester County extended from the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean until 1683, when it was divided into two townships; Egg Harbor Township and Gloucester Township, which took its name from the cathedral city of Gloucester on the banks of the River Severn in England. Gloucester Township further subdivided into four smaller townships, and on June 1, 1695, became one of the first New Jersey municipalities to incorporate. In 1844, the township became part of newly formed Camden County.
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Gloucester Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1891Philadelphia 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 Gloucester Township.
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.
Retake this view1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - New Jersey (NJ) - Camden County - Gloucester Township - ED 4-89 to 96, 1880
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Gloucester Township’s page.
In 1695, according to Wikidata. Gloucester Township’s post office opened in 1828, and the census of 1800 counted 1,398 people here.
How does Gloucester Township rank for history?
Gloucester Township is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #117 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 Gloucester Township?
7 listings: 6 buildings, among them the Chew-Powell House (listed 1975, the first), and 1 historic district, the Blackwood Historic District, with 87 contributing buildings. 93 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Gloucester Township?
5% of Gloucester Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1979.
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), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (7), 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.
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