Green Brook Township dates to 1872, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 33% of U.S. towns · #389 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Most of Green Brook Township was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1980. Its Register listings are the Vail-Trust House and the Dr. John Vermeule House. Below: 7 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1880.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Green Brook Township is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns, #389 of 468 in New Jersey. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Green Brook 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 Green Brook Township’s 4.3 sits near the middle of its state (54% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1872.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to C+. The pre-1940 share (±2.4 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 Green Brook Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost two-thirds of its people between 1890 and 1930, then grew more than tenfold.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Green Brook Township’s Wikipedia page.
On the map
Green Brook Township on the map, 1888 to 1995
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Green Brook Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1888Plainfield 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 Green Brook Township.
In 1872, a tract of land was subdivided off from Warren Township. Thirteen years later, in 1885, the Borough of North Plainfield was created from a section of the subdivided land. The land at that time was designated as North Plainfield. In 1926, the Borough of Watchung was carved out of North Plainfield Township. The municipality's name was changed to Green Brook Township in 1932.
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.
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 1872, according to Wikidata. the census of 1880 counted 3,217 people here.
How does Green Brook Township rank for history?
Green Brook Township is more historic than 33% of U.S. towns, #389 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 Green Brook Township?
Two places: the Vail-Trust House (listed 2008) and the Dr. John Vermeule House (2013).
How old are the homes in Green Brook Township?
3% of Green Brook Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.4 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1980.
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 (12), the Library of Congress (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.
1936
1936
1936
1936
1936
2022
2022
2022
2022
2022
2022
2022
2022
2022
2022
2005
