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AHistory
History · Mendham Township

Mendham Township dates to 1749, and 4 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 91% of U.S. towns · #53 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

Most of Mendham Township was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. 4 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 220 buildings between them. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1810.

1749founded
4on the National Register
10%homes built before 1940
4old photos & papers
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Mendham Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Mendham Township began

When was Mendham Township founded?

1749

Mendham Township dates its founding to 1749 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1810.

First census: 1,277 in 18102020 census: 6,016277 years

How historic is Mendham Township?

A

More historic than 91% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1868.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Mendham Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Mendham Township is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns, #53 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 Mendham Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1749, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 19409.7% of homes (±4.5) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register4 listings, 222 historic buildings, 369 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 91%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 89%

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 Mendham Township’s 369 sits above most of its state (94% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 222 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1749.
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 (±4.5 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 Mendham Township’s past

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

A historic districtThe Brookside takes in 114 historic buildings.A history waiting to be writtenOnly 4 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1850 and 1920, then grew 8-fold.On the map since 18887 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1981. Watch Mendham Township change.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

4 listings protect 222 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.

places listed
4
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
222
each building in a district counts
first listed
1975
Ralston Historic District
BrooksideTempe Wick Road-Washington Corners Historic DistrictRalston Historic DistrictCommunity of St. John Baptist
BuildingsDistricts
BrooksideDistrict
Tempe Wick Road-Washington Corners Historic DistrictDistrict
All 4 listings
Ralston Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1975Community of St. John BaptistBuilding · listed 2007

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

Help out

Start Mendham Township’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo2 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewLeddellsDamWashingtonCornersMendham: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Mendham Township, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,0006,50018501900195020001,723 in 1850Low: 699

Lost half of its people between 1850 and 1920, then grew 8-fold.

22 censuses, 1810–2020.

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

The story

How Mendham Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Mendham Township.

Read it all →

The township was formed on March 29, 1749, from portions of Hanover Township, Morris Township and Roxbury Township. After the Revolutionary War, on February 21, 1798, the township was incorporated by the Township Act of 1798 of the New Jersey Legislature as one of the state's initial group of 104 townships. Portions of the township were taken to create Randolph Township on January 1, 1806. Mendham Borough became an independent municipality when it was formed on May 15, 1906.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Mendham Township, 1749 to 2020

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1749
    FoundingMendham Township is established
  3. 1770Born hereStephen Dod is born here
  4. 19th century
  5. 1868Post officeThe Brookside post office opens
  6. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 1892Post officeThe Ralston post office opens
  8. 20th century
  9. 1910In the archive1910 Morris County Rockabye Map
  10. 1922In the archiveLeddellsDamWashingtonCornersMendham
  11. 1954Post officeThe Ralston post office closes
  12. 1972Born hereJoey McCarthy is born here
  13. 21st century
  14. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 6,016
By decade

Mendham Township, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1910s to the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1910s–1920s2 items
1910 Morris County Rockabye Map19101910 Morris County Rockabye MapMapLeddellsDamWashingtonCornersMendham1922LeddellsDamWashingtonCornersMendham
1930s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Date unknown2 to date
Census Bureau map of Mendham Township, New JerseyDate?Census Bureau map of Mendham Township, New JerseyMapMendhamsignDate?Mendhamsign
Today7 recent
2025-08-08 18 33 20 UTC View of Mendham Borough (center and bottom) and surrounding Mendham Township in Morris County, …20252025-08-08 18 33 20 UTC View of Mendham Borough (cent…Pegasus 1st Airborne beret2016Pegasus 1st Airborne beret22 North Gate Rd 6201322 North Gate Rd 6Mendham market2011Mendham marketMendham Township, Morris County, New Jersey2007Mendham Township, Morris County, New JerseyCOMMUNITY OF ST. JOHN BAPTIST2007COMMUNITY OF ST. JOHN BAPTISTPassaic River source2006Passaic River source
On the map

Mendham Township on the map, 1888 to 1981

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

Mendham Township on the 1888 USGS mapMendham Township on the 1894 USGS mapMendham Township on the 1905 USGS mapMendham Township on the 1947 USGS mapMendham Township on the 1954 USGS mapMendham Township on the 1970 USGS mapMendham Township on the 1981 USGS map1888Lake Hopatcong 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 Mendham Township.

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.

LeddellsDamWashingtonCornersMendham
Retake this viewLeddellsDamWashingtonCornersMendham, 1922

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

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

2 famous people were born in Mendham Township

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

See all →
J
Joey McCarthyAmerican stock car racing driver · b. 1972
S
Stephen DodUd · b. 1770
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and places now gone

Another post office, Ralston, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Brookside
1868–today
Ralston
1892–1954
18601940today
Hamlets and corners on the map
BrooksidePleasant ValleyRalstonWashington Corner
Gone or out of use
Saint Annas SchoolschoolUnion Schoolschool

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

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Chester Township3 historic placesB−Mendham3 historic placesABernardsville5 historic placesA−Randolph Township5 historic placesB+Brookside1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Mendham Township’s history

What year was Mendham Township founded?

In 1749, according to Wikidata. Mendham Township’s post office opened in 1868, and the census of 1810 counted 1,277 people here.

How does Mendham Township rank for history?

Mendham Township is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns, #53 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 Mendham Township?

4 listings: 1 building and 3 historic districts, the Brookside, the Tempe Wick Road-Washington Corners Historic District and the Ralston Historic District, with 220 contributing buildings. 222 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Mendham Township?

10% of Mendham Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.5 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1976.

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 (11), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (4), 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.