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C−History
History · Jackson Township

Jackson Township’s post office opened in 1960, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 16% of U.S. towns · #452 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 9 buildings. Most of Jackson Township was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1850.

1960first post office
2on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
8famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Jackson Township began

When was Jackson Township founded?

1960

The Jackson Township post office opened in 1960, the earliest record of the town by name. Ten smaller post offices, Jacksons Mills (1837), Downsville (1848) and Francis Mills (1851), opened inside today’s town and later closed.

First census: 1,333 in 18502020 census: 58,54466 years

How historic is Jackson Township?

C−

More historic than 16% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Jackson Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Jackson Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Jackson Township is more historic than 16% of U.S. towns, #452 of 468 in New Jersey. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Jackson Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1960, from the first post office: founded 1945 or later, an older era than 2% of U.S. townsD−Homes built before 19401.6% of homes (±0.7) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register2 listings, 10 historic buildings, 1.7 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 16%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 3%

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 Jackson Township’s 1.7 sits near the middle of its state (39% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 10 historic buildings outnumber those of 76% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C. The pre-1940 share (±0.7 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.

Founding year: the first post office (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 Jackson 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 Jackson Township, and 24 old place names are still on the map.A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18886 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1971. Watch Jackson Township change.Famous sons and daughtersSteve Niles, Scotty Cranmer and 6 more were born here.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices and old corners

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

Jacksons Mills
1837–1907
Downsville
1848–1855
Francis Mills
1851–1856
Cassville
1856–1960
Davisville
1859–1864
Bennett Mills
1860–1902
Colliers Mills
1868–1912
Van Hiseville
1868–1958
Whitesville
1884–1943
Hyson
1903–1907
18301930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Archers CornerBennetts MillsBurkesvilleCassvilleColliers MillsEdgewood ParkFrancis MillsHarmonyHolmansvilleHysonJacksons MillsLeesvilleLeglerMarylandMidwoodOakwoodPleasant GroveSaint VladimirsSouthwind Mobile Home ParkVan HisevilleVista CenterWhitesvilleWoodair EstatesWoodmere

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

Help out

Start Jackson Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Jackson 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 photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Jackson Township on the map, 1888 to 1971

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

Jackson Township on the 1888 USGS mapJackson Township on the 1894 USGS mapJackson Township on the 1900 USGS mapJackson Township on the 1947 USGS mapJackson Township on the 1957 USGS mapJackson Township on the 1971 USGS map1888Cassville 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 Jackson Township.

The story

How Jackson Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Jackson Township.

Read it all →

Jackson Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 6, 1844, from portions of Dover Township (now Toms River Township), Freehold Township and Upper Freehold Township, while the area was still part of Monmouth County. The Township was named for President Andrew Jackson, a year before his death. It became part of the newly created Ocean County on February 15, 1850. Portions of the Township were taken to form Plumsted Township on March 11, 1845.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Jackson Township, 1837 to 1998

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1837Post officeThe Jacksons Mills post office opens
  3. 1848Post officeThe Downsville post office opens
  4. 1851Post officeThe Francis Mills post office opens
  5. 1855Post officeThe Downsville post office closes
  6. 1856Post officeThe Francis Mills post office closes
  7. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 20th century
  9. 1907Post officeThe Jacksons Mills post office closes
  10. 1965Born hereSteve Niles is born here
  11. 1987Born hereScotty Cranmer is born here
  12. 1995Born hereMatt Thaiss is born here
  13. 1998Born hereJoey DeZart is born here
By decade

Jackson Township, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
Census Bureau map ofDate?Census Bureau map ofMap
Today12 recent
Jackson Township, NJ Municipal Building, June 20252025Jackson Township, NJ Municipal Building, June 2025Jackson Township School District, NJ Administration Building, June 20252025Jackson Township School District, NJ Administration B…2021-06-29 15 18 18 Trumpet creeper flowers along Ocean County Route 527 (Cedar Swamp Road) in20212021-06-29 15 18 18 Trumpet creeper flowers along Oce…2021-06-29 15 18 11 Honey bee hovering over trumpet creeper flowers along Ocean County Route 527 (Cedar Swamp Road) in20212021-06-29 15 18 11 Honey bee hovering over trumpet c…Robin On The Branch2017Robin On The BranchRainbow Feathers2017Rainbow FeathersOut Of Breath2017Out Of BreathLooking For Worms2017Looking For WormsHawk Eye2017Hawk EyeEgret Taking Off2017Egret Taking OffPROSPERTOWN SCHOOLHOUSE MUSEUM, OCEAN COUNTY, NJ2007PROSPERTOWN SCHOOLHOUSE MUSEUM, OCEAN COUNTY, NJJackson twp nj 0292005Jackson twp nj 029
On the National Register

2 listings protect 10 historic buildings

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

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
10
each building in a district counts
first listed
1982
Cassville Crossroads Historic District
Cassville Crossroads Historic DistrictTorrey-Larrabee Store
BuildingsDistricts
Cassville Crossroads Historic DistrictDistrict
Torrey-Larrabee StoreBuilding

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

People over time

Jackson Township, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,00055,00060,00065,000185019001950200058,544

Grew from 1,333 people in 1850 to 58,544 in 2020, more than tenfold.

18 censuses, 1850–2020.

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

Famous people

8 famous people were born in Jackson Township

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

See all →
Steve NilesAmerican comic book author and novelist · b. 1965
S
Scotty CranmerAmerican BMX rider · b. 1987
J
Joey DeZartJamaican-American soccer player · b. 1998
Matt ThaissAmerican baseball player · b. 1995
M
Melvin CottrellAmerican politician · b. 1929
C
Cassidy BenintenteAmerican soccer player · b. 1994
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Howell TownshipIts storyCPlumsted TownshipIts storyCManchester Township2 historic placesBLakewood Township2 historic placesCFreehold Township3 historic placesB+Cedar Glen WestIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Jackson Township’s history

What year was Jackson Township founded?

The Jackson Township post office opened in 1960, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Jackson Township rank for history?

Jackson Township is more historic than 16% of U.S. towns, #452 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 Jackson Township?

Two places: the Cassville Crossroads Historic District (listed 1982) and the Torrey-Larrabee Store (1997).

How old are the homes in Jackson Township?

2% of Jackson Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1989.

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 (13), Wikidata (1), 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), 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.