2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 180 buildings. Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1870.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Pemberton is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Pemberton’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 Pemberton’s 1,387 sits above most of its state (98% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 182 historic buildings outnumber those of 93% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1826.
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 (±12.1 points).
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Pemberton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Pemberton yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Pemberton is a borough in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,371, a decrease of 38 (−2.7%) from the 2010 census count of 1,409, which in turn reflected an increase of 199 (+16.4%) from the 1,210 counted in the 2000 census. The township, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Pemberton was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on December 15, 1826, within portions of New Hanover Township and Northampton Township (now known as Mount Holly Township). Pemberton became an independent borough c. 1894. The borough is named for James Pemberton, a p…
Pemberton was established in 1826. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 1,409 to 1,371 (-3%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
By decade
Pemberton, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1826, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1870 counted 797 people here.
How does Pemberton rank for history?
Pemberton is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns. 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 Pemberton?
Two places: the Morris Mansion and Mill (listed 1977) and the Pemberton Historic District (1989).
How old are the homes in Pemberton?
38% of Pemberton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±12.1 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1962.
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 the Library of Congress (11), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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