New Hanover Township dates to 1723, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 78% of U.S. towns · #134 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Most of New Hanover Township was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2002. Its Register listing is the Edward S. Godfrey Gen. House. Below: maps from 1888 on and the census since 1810.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1851.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives New Hanover Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, New Hanover Township is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns, #134 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 New Hanover 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 New Hanover Township’s 5.5 sits near the middle of its state (58% 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 1723.
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 (±5.7 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 New Hanover Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost two-thirds of its people between 1920 and 1930, then grew 9-fold.
22 censuses, 1810–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on New Hanover Township’s Wikipedia page.
On the map
New Hanover Township on the map, 1888 to 1971
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of New Hanover Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1888Bordentown 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 New Hanover Township.
New Hanover was originally formed by Royal charter on December 2, 1723, from portions of Chesterfield Township and Springfield Township. New Hanover was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Pemberton borough (December 15, 1826), Pemberton Township (March 10, 1846), North Hanover Township (April 12, 1905) and Wrightstown (March 4, 1918).
In 1723, according to Wikidata. New Hanover Township’s post office opened in 1851, and the census of 1810 counted 2,536 people here.
How does New Hanover Township rank for history?
New Hanover Township is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns, #134 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 New Hanover Township?
One place: the Edward S. Godfrey Gen. House (listed 1997).
How old are the homes in New Hanover Township?
8% of New Hanover Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.7 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 2002.
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 (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.
2004
