Mantua Township dates to 1853, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 38% of U.S. towns · #364 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Most of Mantua Township was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. Its Register listings are the Jesse Chew House, the Barnsboro Hotel and the Mount Pleasant School. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1891 on, and the census since 1860.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1827.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Mantua Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Mantua Township is more historic than 38% of U.S. towns, #364 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 Mantua Township’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 Mantua Township’s 1.9 sits near the middle of its state (41% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to C+. The pre-1940 share (±2.8 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1853.
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 Mantua Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Mantua Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1891Philadelphia 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 Mantua 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.
The area that would become Mantua Township was originally inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans. One subtribe,
called the Manta or Mantes, lent their name to the Mantua Creek, the township’s namesake, forming its northeastern border. There is a widespread belief, including on the township's website, that the name Mantua means "frog" in the Lenape language, though the historical and linguistic evidence contradicts this claim. The modern spelling was possibly influenced or derived from Mantua, Italy.
In 1853, according to Wikidata. Mantua Township’s post office opened in 1827, and the census of 1860 counted 1,742 people here.
How does Mantua Township rank for history?
Mantua Township is more historic than 38% of U.S. towns, #364 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 Mantua Township?
Three places: the Jesse Chew House (listed 1972), the Barnsboro Hotel (1973) and the Mount Pleasant School (2023).
How old are the homes in Mantua Township?
7% of Mantua Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.8 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1987.
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 (9), the Library of Congress (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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.
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