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Hancock House, Lower Alloways Creek Township, NJPhoto: Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.0
AHistory
History · Lower Alloways Creek Township

Lower Alloways Creek Township dates to 1767, and 31% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 94% of U.S. towns. What drives it

Its Register listings are the Hancock House and the Alloways Creek Friends Meetinghouse. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 1810.

1767founded
2on the National Register
31%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Lower Alloways Creek Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Lower Alloways Creek Township began

When was Lower Alloways Creek Township founded?

1767

Lower Alloways Creek Township dates its founding to 1767 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1810.

First census: 1,182 in 18102020 census: 1,717259 years

How historic is Lower Alloways Creek Township?

A

More historic than 94% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1811.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Lower Alloways Creek Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lower Alloways Creek Township is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lower Alloways Creek Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1767, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 194030.8% of homes (±10.2) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%ANational Register2 listings, 11.7 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 94%
NewerOlder

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 Lower Alloways Creek Township’s 11.7 sits above most of its state (70% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1767.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±10.2 points).

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 Lower Alloways Creek Township’s past

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

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 18905 editions of the USGS map, 1890 to 1993. Watch Lower Alloways Creek Township change.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Lower Alloways Creek Township, and 6 old place names are still on the map.Older than the countryEstablished in 1767, 9 years before the Declaration of Independence.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Lower Alloways Creek Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Lower Alloways Creek Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old view1940 Census Enumeration District Descri…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Lower Alloways Creek Township on the map, 1890 to 1993

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

Lower Alloways Creek Township on the 1890 USGS mapLower Alloways Creek Township on the 1931 USGS mapLower Alloways Creek Township on the 1948 USGS mapLower Alloways Creek Township on the 1972 USGS mapLower Alloways Creek Township on the 1993 USGS map1890Bay Side 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 Lower Alloways Creek Township.

Places that used to be

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

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

Hancocks Bridge
1811–today
Canton
1826–1954
Hamersville
1877–1933
18101920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
CantonHagervilleHancocks BridgeHarmersvilleMaskells MillPine Island
Gone or out of use
Hope Creekairport
1cemetery inside Lower Alloways Creek Township
Canton Baptist

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

The story

How Lower Alloways Creek Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Lower Alloways Creek Township.

Read it all →

Lower Alloways Creek Township was formed on June 17, 1767, when Alloways Creek Township was subdivided and Upper Alloways Creek Township (now Alloway Township) was also formed. The township was incorporated by the New Jersey Legislature's Township Act of 1798 on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's original group of 104 townships. The name Alloway is derivative of Allowas, a local Native American chief.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Lower Alloways Creek Township, 1734 to 1954

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1734BuiltHancock House is built
  3. 1767
    FoundingLower Alloways Creek Township is established
  4. 19th century
  5. 1811Post officeThe Hancocks Bridge post office opens
  6. 1826Post officeThe Canton post office opens
  7. 1850In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - New Jersey - Salem County - ED 17-1, ED 1…
  8. 1877Post officeThe Hamersville post office opens
  9. 1890On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 20th century
  11. 1933Post officeThe Hamersville post office closes
  12. 1954Post officeThe Canton post office closes
By decade

Lower Alloways Creek Township, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1850s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1850s1 item
1940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - New Jersey - Salem County - ED 17-1, ED 17-2, ED 17-3, ED 17-4, ED 17-518501940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - New J…
Today5 recent
Farm in Lower Alloways Creek Twp., NJ, Dec. 20242024Farm in Lower Alloways Creek Twp., NJ, Dec. 2024Cornelia Hancock Farm, Lower Alloways Creek Twp., NJ, Dec. 20242024Cornelia Hancock Farm, Lower Alloways Creek Twp., NJ,…Alloway Creek, NJ upstream from New Bridge, Dec. 20242024Alloway Creek, NJ upstream from New Bridge, Dec. 2024Alloway Creek, NJ downstream from New Bridge, Dec. 20242024Alloway Creek, NJ downstream from New Bridge, Dec. 20…Map of Salem County highlighting Lower Alloways Creek Township2004Map of Salem County highlighting Lower Alloways Creek…Map
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

1940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - New Jersey - Salem County - ED 17-1, ED 17-2, ED 17-3, ED 17-4, ED 17-5
Retake this view1940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - New Jersey - Salem County - ED 17-1, ED 17-2, ED 17-3, ED 17-4, ED 17-5, 1850

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Lower Alloways Creek Township’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 historic places in Lower Alloways Creek Township

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

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1970
Hancock House
Hancock House, built 1734Alloways Creek Friends Meetinghouse
Buildings
Hancock HouseBuilt 1734
Alloways Creek Friends MeetinghouseBuilding

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

People over time

Lower Alloways Creek Township, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0001850190019502000Peak: 1,858

Between 1,063 and 1,858 people in every census since 1810.

22 censuses, 1810–2020.

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

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Stow Creek TownshipIts storyB+Elsinboro Township4 historic placesAGreenwich Township3 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townQuinton TownshipIts storyC+

Questions about Lower Alloways Creek Township’s history

What year was Lower Alloways Creek Township founded?

In 1767, according to Wikidata. Lower Alloways Creek Township’s post office opened in 1811, and the census of 1810 counted 1,182 people here.

How does Lower Alloways Creek Township rank for history?

Lower Alloways Creek Township is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns. 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 Lower Alloways Creek Township?

Two places: the Hancock House (listed 1970) and the Alloways Creek Friends Meetinghouse (2003).

How old are the homes in Lower Alloways Creek Township?

31% of Lower Alloways Creek Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±10.2 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1972.

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 (6), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, 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.