Kearny dates to 1899, and 38% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 67% of U.S. towns · #202 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Ackerman-Dewsnap House, the Highland Hose No. 4 and the Walker, William Hall, Gymnasium. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1880.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1874.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Kearny’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Kearny is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #202 of 468 in New Jersey. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Kearny’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 Kearny’s 1.0 sits below most of its state (32% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1899.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to A−. The pre-1940 share (±2.6 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Kearny’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area of Kearny Township, created in 1867, had been part of the original Crown Grant of 30,000 acres (120 km2) obtained by Major William Sandford of Barbados on July 4, 1668. Major Sandford named it New Barbadoes Neck after his old home. As was the custom of the time, the Major paid 20 pounds sterling to Chief Tantaqua of the Hackensack tribe for all their reserve rights and titles.
Sanford's Uncle, Major Nathaniel Kingsland acquired the property in 1708 and sold the upper western tract of the Grant for 300 pounds sterling to Captain Arent Schuyler two years later. The new purchase included present-day Kearny, North Arlington, Lyndhurst and Kingsland.
Passages that mention Kearny, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of the municipalities of Hudson County, New Jersey, 1630-19231924 · page 384Read the page →
Read the text
The political antagonism brought about by the water supply question during the winter of 1874-75, caused the people of Arlington to make a study of the act, creating the township of Kearny, passed in 1867, and at several meetings of Arlington people held at the Arlington railroad station, it was decided to try and secure a new charter for the township. A petition for such a purpose was taken to the next meeting of the township committee and Chairman Boan appointed Gen. N. N. Halsted, E. P. Hatch, David Noon, Theodore S. Stewart, S. K. Jerolamon, and E. P. Ham, and
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of the municipalities of Hudson County, New Jersey, 1630-19231924 · page 386Read the page →
Read the text
pendent fire company supported by private contributions, largely from members located in the Arlington section not far from the Arlington railroad station. The company owned a complete fire-fighting apparatus and fre house and for many years prior to 1888, when the Kearny Fire Department was finally organized, performed an excellent and efficient service to the public in the upper end of the township.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Kearny, 1837 to 1977
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born 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 1899, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Kearny’s post office opened in 1874, and the census of 1880 counted 777 people here.
How does Kearny rank for history?
Kearny is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #202 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 Kearny?
Three places: the Ackerman-Dewsnap House (listed 1986), the Highland Hose No. 4 (1987) and the Walker, William Hall, Gymnasium (2019).
How old are the homes in Kearny?
38% of Kearny’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 1951.
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 (1), the Library of Congress (5), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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