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A−History
History · Mansfield Township

Mansfield Township dates to 1688, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 76% of U.S. towns · #143 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

Most of Mansfield Township was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1997. Its Register listing is the Barzillai Newbold House. Below: maps from 1888 on and the census since 1810.

1688founded
1on the National Register
7%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Mansfield Township began

When was Mansfield Township founded?

1688

Mansfield Township dates its founding to 1688 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1810.

First census: 1,810 in 18102020 census: 8,897338 years

How historic is Mansfield Township?

A−

More historic than 76% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1806.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Mansfield Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Mansfield Township is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #143 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 Mansfield Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1688, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 19406.9% of homes (±3.7) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register1 listing, 4 historic buildings, 4.5 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 76%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 70%

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 Mansfield Township’s 4.5 sits near the middle of its state (55% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1688.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.7 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 Mansfield Township’s past

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

Lost villages3 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Mansfield Township, and 7 old place names are still on the map.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Mansfield Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1850 and 1920, then grew 5-fold.On the map since 18888 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1981. Watch Mansfield Township change.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

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

Black Horse
1806–1827
Columbus
1827–today
Georgetown
1847–1920
Kinkora
1873–1906
18001910today
Hamlets and corners on the map
ColumbusGeorgetownHeddingKinkoraMansfieldMansfield SquareSharp
1cemetery inside Mansfield Township
Columbus

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

Help out

Start Mansfield Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Mansfield 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

Mansfield Township, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00018501900195020002,953 in 1850Low: 1,517

Lost half of its people between 1850 and 1920, then grew 5-fold.

22 censuses, 1810–2020.

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

The story

How Mansfield Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Mansfield Township.

Read it all →

Before European settlement, the land that would become Mansfield Township was occupied by the Lenape Native Americans. Mansfield was first formed on November 6, 1688, and reformed by Royal charter on May 9, 1770. Mansfield was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships. Portions of the township were taken to form Fieldsboro (March 7, 1850, within township; became fully independent c. 1894), Bordentown Township (March 8, 1852) and Florence Township (March 7, 1872).

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Mansfield Township, 1688 to 2020

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

  1. 17th century
  2. 1688
    FoundingMansfield Township is established
  3. 18th century
  4. 1767Born hereThomas Hornor is born here
  5. 19th century
  6. 1806Post officeThe Black Horse post office opens
  7. 1827Post officeThe Black Horse post office closes
  8. 1827Post officeThe Columbus post office opens
  9. 1847Post officeThe Georgetown post office opens
  10. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  11. 20th century
  12. 1913Born hereEddie Smith is born here
  13. 1920Post officeThe Georgetown post office closes
  14. 21st century
  15. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 8,897
By decade

Mansfield Township, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Keeler Oak Tree - sign, May 20132013Keeler Oak Tree - sign, May 2013Keeler Oak Tree - distance photo, May 20132013Keeler Oak Tree - distance photo, May 2013Keeler Oak Tree - close up photo, May 20132013Keeler Oak Tree - close up photo, May 2013Mount Pleasant- Shreve homestead2011Mount Pleasant- Shreve homesteadMount Pleasant hill2010Mount Pleasant hillMap of Burlington County highlighting2004Map of Burlington County highlightingMap
On the map

Mansfield Township on the map, 1888 to 1981

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

Mansfield Township on the 1888 USGS mapMansfield Township on the 1893 USGS mapMansfield Township on the 1906 USGS mapMansfield Township on the 1918 USGS mapMansfield Township on the 1948 USGS mapMansfield Township on the 1957 USGS mapMansfield Township on the 1970 USGS mapMansfield Township on the 1981 USGS map1888Bordentown 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 Mansfield Township.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Mansfield Township

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

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
4
each building in a district counts
first listed
1978
Barzillai Newbold House
Barzillai Newbold House
Buildings
Barzillai Newbold HouseBuilding

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Mansfield Township

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

See all →
E
Eddie SmithAmerican baseball player · b. 1913
T
Thomas HornorCanadian politician · b. 1767
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Springfield Township6 historic placesAChesterfield Township7 historic placesBFlorence Township3 historic placesA−Bordentown Township1 historic placeC+Roebling1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Mansfield Township’s history

What year was Mansfield Township founded?

In 1688, according to Wikidata. Mansfield Township’s post office opened in 1806, and the census of 1810 counted 1,810 people here.

How does Mansfield Township rank for history?

Mansfield Township is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #143 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 Mansfield Township?

One place: the Barzillai Newbold House (listed 1978).

How old are the homes in Mansfield Township?

7% of Mansfield Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.7 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1997.

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), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.