Park Ridge’s post office opened in 1870, and 22% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 59% of U.S. towns · #257 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Wortendyke Barn, the John G. Ackerson House and the Park Ridge Station. Its Register listings are the Wortendyke Barn, the John G. Ackerson House and the Park Ridge Station. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1910 on, and the census since 1900.
The Park Ridge post office opened in 1870, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Paskack (1843), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 870 in 19002020 census: 8,883156 years
How historic is Park Ridge?
B
More historic than 59% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Park Ridge post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Park Ridge’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Park Ridge is more historic than 59% of U.S. towns, #257 of 468 in New Jersey. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Park Ridge’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 Park Ridge’s 3.2 sits near the middle of its state (46% 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 B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.5 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Park Ridge’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Park Ridge was created as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 15, 1894, from portions of Washington Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day. The borough was formed during the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone. Park Ridge obtained a portion of River Vale (July 15, 1929), exchanged portions with Woodcliff Lake (December 12, 1955), received part of Washington Township (November 26, 1956), exchanged portions with Hillsdale (February 10, 1958) and Woodcliff Lake (June 9, 1958) and received another part of Washington Township (August 11, 1958). The borough's name derives from its location.
Passages that mention Park Ridge, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Bergen county, New Jersey1900 · page 308Read the page →
Read the text
He moved to Park Ridge in 1883, and became the founder of the Improvement Association, and this led to the formation of the Borough of Park Ridge, then known as " Pascack," where there were at that time only one hundred population. Here he accidentally drifted into real estate and sold out his publishing business in 1885.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Bergen county, New Jersey1900 · page 307Read the page →
Read the text
Mr. Volger is also active in local affairs. In 1894 he was elected councilman of Park Ridge borough, serving three years and at the close of this term of office was elected Mayor serving one term. He is also vice president of the Eureka Building and Loan Association of Park Ridge.
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
Park Ridge, 1770 to 1994
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Park Ridge post office opened in 1870, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Park Ridge rank for history?
Park Ridge is more historic than 59% of U.S. towns, #257 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 Park Ridge?
Three places: the Wortendyke Barn (listed 1973), the John G. Ackerson House (1983) and the Park Ridge Station (1984).
How old are the homes in Park Ridge?
22% of Park Ridge’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.5 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1966.
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 (6), the Library of Congress (2), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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, 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.
Date?
Date?
2018
2015
2015
2015
2012
2008
