Harrison Township dates to 1844, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 75% of U.S. towns · #145 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Most of Harrison Township was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1997. 3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 136 buildings. Below: maps from 1890 on and the census since 1850.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Harrison Township is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #145 of 468 in New Jersey. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Harrison 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 Harrison Township’s 106 sits above most of its state (87% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 146 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1844.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share (±2.6 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 Harrison Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Harrison Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Harrison Township is a township in Gloucester County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 13,641, an increase of 1,224 (+9.9%) from the 2010 census count of 12,417, which in turn reflected an increase of 3,629 (+41.3%) from the 8,788 counted in the 2000 census. Harrison Township was originally formed as Spicer Township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 13, 1844, from portions of Greenwich Township and Woolwich Township. That name lasted for less than a year, with Harrison Township adopted as of April 1, 1845. The township was named for President William Henry Harrison. Mullica Hill is the historical center of the …
Harrison Township was established in 1844. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 12,417 to 13,641 (+10%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Harrison Township, 1802 to 2020
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Harrison Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1890Glassboro 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 Harrison Township.
People over time
Harrison Township, census by census
Lost half of its people between 1870 and 1890, then grew 8-fold.
18 censuses, 1850–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Harrison Township’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Harrison Township
Nobody well known was born in Harrison Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
In 1844, according to Wikidata. Harrison Township’s post office opened in 1802, and the census of 1850 counted 1,984 people here.
How does Harrison Township rank for history?
Harrison Township is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns, #145 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 Harrison Township?
Three places: the Butler Farm (listed 1978), the Richwood Methodist Church (1979) and the Mullica Hill Historic District (1991).
How old are the homes in Harrison Township?
5% of Harrison Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.6 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1997.
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 (4), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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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