More historic than 10% of U.S. towns · #465 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Most of Middlesex was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1965. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1920.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1898.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Middlesex’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Middlesex is more historic than 10% of U.S. towns, #465 of 468 in New Jersey. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Middlesex’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 Middlesex’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (12% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C−. The pre-1940 share (±1.9 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1913.
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 Middlesex’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The Harris Lane School was a one-room schoolhouse that was the oldest school in Middlesex County, dating back to its construction in the 1790s. The original Pierce School was known as the East Bound Brook School House and The Parker House was also used for education until it was converted into a two-family house. As the Borough grew new schools were constructed to accommodate many more students. Our Lady of Mt. Virgin School was the first parochial school built in 1954.
In 1905, the Lincoln section of Middlesex organized a volunteer fire company and that set the organization of four other fire companies in the borough.
Passages that mention Middlesex, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Prominent Men1882 · page 250Read the page →
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The city at the time of its incorporation was situated in two townships in two separate counties, viz., the township of Railway, in Union County, and the township of Woodbridge, in Middlesex County. Each of these townships maintained its original boundaries and jurisdiction independent of the city government, so that the inhabitants for the time being were under three governments, viz., that of the city and those of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of the third congressional district of New Jersey, comprising Middlesex, Monmouth and Somerset counties1896 · page 51Read the page →
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Millstone Township. — Millstone township was erected in 1844 from Freehold and Upper Freehold, and from Monroe township of Middlesex county. The village of Perrineville was founded before 1825 by a man from New England, and in a few years became a place of note. Clarksburg dates bade to 1820.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Prominent Men1882 · page 603Read the page →
Read the text
act 'directing the Times and places for holding the County Courts,' passed in 1686. This act recites that ' whereas an act was made the first day of March, 1682,' providing that the Courts should be held in the County of Middlesex, at Woodbridge and Piscataway; and 'the Town of Amboy Perth not being then iuhabUed, the Courts could not be there settled; but, for the better encouragement of the said Town, the act of 1686 goes on to order that henceforth the Courts should ' be held at the town of Amboy Perth' in September and December of every year, alter-
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
Middlesex, 1888 to 1984
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In 1913, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Middlesex’s post office opened in 1898, and the census of 1920 counted 1,852 people here.
How does Middlesex rank for history?
Middlesex is more historic than 10% of U.S. towns, #465 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.
How old are the homes in Middlesex?
6% of Middlesex’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.9 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1965.
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 (8), the Library of Congress (3), Wikidata (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), 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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