Paramus dates to 1922, and 6 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 28% of U.S. towns · #411 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
6 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 4 buildings. Most of Paramus was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1963. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1900.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1797.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Paramus’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Paramus is more historic than 28% of U.S. towns, #411 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 Paramus’ 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 Paramus’ 4.1 sits near the middle of its state (53% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 11 historic buildings outnumber those of 76% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.2 points). Two sources give 1922.
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 Paramus’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area that ultimately became the present-day North Jersey had been occupied for thousands of years by prehistoric indigenous peoples. At the time of European encounter, it was settled by the Lenape Native Americans. The Lenape language word for the area, Peremessing, which meant that it had an abundant population of wild turkey, was anglicized to become the word "Paramus". A large metal statue of a wild turkey in the Paramus Park mall commemorates this history. Another alternative derivation is that the word means "pleasant stream".
Passages that mention Paramus, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Bergen county, New Jersey1900 · page 243Read the page →
Read the text
in 1898. It is given entire and is as follows : "In 1662 Albert Saboroweski, the progenitor of the Zabriskie families of Berg-en County, came from Holland and purchased from the Indians. "The New Paramus Patent," a tract of land in this vicinity containing nearly 2,000 acres, which was named the Paramus Highlands, the earliest settlements being near Paramus Church. Subsequently, Newtown was established near the present site of Wortendyke and extended to Lydecker's Mills, near Midland Park. The name was
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
ten months in the Army of the Potomac. Upon his return he engaged in the book trade in New York city until 1868, when he began teaching in Bergen county, continuing in that profession for five years. He taught, among other places, at Paramus Church, New Bridge and Hackensack. Subsequently he entered the law office of Oarret Ackerson, and, under his direction, pursued a course of study, being admitted as attornev in 1875, and as a counsellor in 1878. Immediately after his admission to the bar he formed a partnership with Mr. Ackerson, which
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
Paramus, 1797 to 1953
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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.
In 1922, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Paramus’ post office opened in 1797, and the census of 1900 counted 889 people here.
How does Paramus rank for history?
Paramus is more historic than 28% of U.S. towns, #411 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 Paramus?
6 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Terhune-Gardner-Lindenmeyr House (listed 1972, the first), and 1 historic district, the Ridgewood Country Club, with 4 contributing buildings. 11 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Paramus?
6% of Paramus’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.2 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1963.
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 (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (6), Wikipedia, 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
1953
1957
1957
1958