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Neshanic Mills, Neshanic Staion, NJ - area viewPhoto: Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.0
A−History
History · Hillsborough Township

Hillsborough Township dates to 1771, and 10 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 81% of U.S. towns · #111 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

Most of Hillsborough Township was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1986. Below: maps from 1943 on and the census since 1790.

1771founded
10on the National Register
5%homes built before 1940
7famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Hillsborough Township began

When was Hillsborough Township founded?

1771

Hillsborough Township dates its founding to 1771 (Wikidata). It appears in the first U.S. census, 1790.

First census: 2,201 in 17902020 census: 43,276255 years

How historic is Hillsborough Township?

A−

More historic than 81% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1823.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Hillsborough Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hillsborough Township is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #111 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 Hillsborough Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1771, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 19404.5% of homes (±1.4) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register10 listings, 106 historic buildings, 24.0 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 81%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 76%

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 Hillsborough Township’s 24.0 sits above most of its state (76% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 106 historic buildings outnumber those of 90% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1771.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A+. The pre-1940 share (±1.4 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 Hillsborough Township’s past

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

Lost villages11 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Hillsborough Township, and 15 old place names are still on the map.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Hillsborough Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1920 and 1930, then grew more than tenfold.A historic districtThe Millstone Valley Agricultural District takes in 28 historic buildings.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

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

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

Flaggtown
1823–1878
Clover Hill
1834–1930
Neshanic
1857–1915
Roysfield
1865–1890
Montgomery
1873–1908
Hillsboro
1875–1902
Frankfort
1878–1907
Roycefield
1890–1907
South Somerville
1892–1908
Zion
1897–1957
18201920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
BloomingdaleCloverhillFlagtownFrankfortHamiltonHigginsvilleHillsboroughMontgomeryNeshanicPleasantviewRoyce ValleySouth BranchSouth SomervilleWoods TavernZion
Gone or out of use
Belle Mead General DepotmilitaryBelle Mead QuarrymineBloomingdale SchoolschoolCity FederalairportClover Hill SchoolschoolNeshanic Schoolschool
13cemeteries and burying grounds inside Hillsborough Township
Clover Hill Reformed Church andFlagtownHarlingen ReformedHillHoaglandHoly Ghost Carpatho - Russian OrthodoxNeshanic ReformedSacred HeartSaints Peter and PaulVan NestVeghte Burying GroundVroom FamilyZion Road

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

Help out

Start Hillsborough Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Hillsborough 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

Hillsborough Township, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,000180018501900195020005,124 in 1920Low: 2,283

Lost half of its people between 1920 and 1930, then grew more than tenfold.

23 censuses, 1790–2020.

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

The story

How Hillsborough Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Hillsborough Township.

Read it all →

On May 31, 1771, Hillsborough was officially granted a Charter incorporating it as a Township. A revised charter was issued on September 12, 1771. The records of Hillsborough Township are complete from their inception in 1746 and there are ten volumes, each some several hundred pages, kept in the Special Collections Department of the Rutgers University Library along with the Charter.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Hillsborough Township, 1771 to 2020

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1771
    FoundingHillsborough Township is established
  3. 1791Born herePeter Dumont Vroom is born here
  4. 19th century
  5. 1823Post officeThe Flaggtown post office opens
  6. 1834Post officeThe Clover Hill post office opens
  7. 1857Post officeThe Neshanic post office opens
  8. 1878Post officeThe Flaggtown post office closes
  9. 20th century
  10. 1915Post officeThe Neshanic post office closes
  11. 1930Post officeThe Clover Hill post office closes
  12. 1943On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  13. 1975Born hereLori Alhadeff is born here
  14. 1979Born hereShawn Mayer is born here
  15. 1990Born hereYannick Smith is born here
  16. 21st century
  17. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 43,276
By decade

Hillsborough Township, decade by decade

Today12 recent
Winter2015WinterMary Mother of God2015Mary Mother of GodHillsborough Twp, NJ municipal complex2015Hillsborough Twp, NJ municipal complexPrimus - Demo Plant2014Primus - Demo PlantCounty Route 5142013County Route 514Chris Christie at townhall2011Chris Christie at townhallVan Nest - Weston Burying Ground2008Van Nest - Weston Burying GroundSourland Mountains, Somerset County, New Jersey2007Sourland Mountains, Somerset County, New JerseyHUFF HOUSE AND FARMSTEAD, SOMERSET COUNTY2007HUFF HOUSE AND FARMSTEAD, SOMERSET COUNTYELMENDORF HOUSE; SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ2007ELMENDORF HOUSE; SOMERSET COUNTY, NJHillborough twp nj 0352005Hillborough twp nj 035614 on the NS Royceville Runner in Hillsborough, NJ on May 24, 20022002614 on the NS Royceville Runner in Hillsborough, NJ o…
On the map

Hillsborough Township on the map, 1943 to 1970

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

Hillsborough Township on the 1943 USGS mapHillsborough Township on the 1954 USGS mapHillsborough Township on the 1970 USGS map1943Rocky Hill sheet · 1:31,680

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Hillsborough Township.

On the National Register

10 listings protect 106 historic buildings

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

places listed
10
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
106
each building in a district counts
first listed
1976
Huff House and Farmstead
Huff House and FarmsteadMillstone Valley Agricultural DistrictSouth Branch Historic DistrictNeshanic MillsCat Tail Brook BridgeNeshanic Historic DistrictClover Hill Historic DistrictElmendorf HouseHigginsville Road BridgesVan Der Veer-Harris House
BuildingsDistrictsStructures
Huff House and FarmsteadBuilding
Millstone Valley Agricultural DistrictDistrict
South Branch Historic DistrictDistrict
Neshanic MillsDistrict
Cat Tail Brook BridgeStructure
Neshanic Historic DistrictDistrict
Clover Hill Historic DistrictDistrict
Elmendorf HouseBuilding
All 10 listings
Higginsville Road BridgesStructure · listed 2000Van Der Veer-Harris HouseBuilding · listed 2008

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

Famous people

7 famous people were born in Hillsborough Township

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

See all →
Peter Dumont VroomAmerican politician · b. 1791
S
Shawn MayerPlayer of American football · b. 1979
Y
Yannick SmithAmerican soccer player · b. 1990
L
Lori AlhadeffAmerican activist · b. 1975
Abraham HoaglandMormon leader · b. 1797
K
Kristin MalkoAmerican actress · b. 1982
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Branchburg Township4 historic placesA−Neshanic Station2 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townFranklin Township10 historic placesBManvilleIts storyC−Neshanic3 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townReadington Township8 historic placesAMontgomery Township9 historic placesB+Millstone1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townWestonIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBridgewater Township3 historic placesB

Questions about Hillsborough Township’s history

What year was Hillsborough Township founded?

In 1771, according to Wikidata. Hillsborough Township’s post office opened in 1823, and the first U.S. census counted 2,201 people here in 1790.

How does Hillsborough Township rank for history?

Hillsborough Township is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #111 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 Hillsborough Township?

10 listings: 3 buildings, among them the Huff House and Farmstead (listed 1976, the first), 5 historic districts with 100 contributing buildings, and 2 structures. 106 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Hillsborough Township?

5% of Hillsborough Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.4 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1986.

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 (12), the National Register of Historic Places (10), 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.