Ridgewood’s post office opened in 1865, and 38% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 78% of U.S. towns · #133 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
13 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 3 buildings. Below: 7 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1890.
Founding year: the first Ridgewood post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Ridgewood’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ridgewood is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns, #133 of 468 in New Jersey. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Ridgewood’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 Ridgewood’s 6.8 sits near the middle of its state (63% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 18 historic buildings outnumber those of 79% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share (±2.5 points) is firm at this size. 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 Ridgewood’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ridgewood. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1888Paterson 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 Ridgewood.
Every building
Ridgewood, building by building, 1896–1928
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.
1896Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
On the National Register
13 historic places in Ridgewood
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
In 1700, Johannes Van Emburgh built the first home in Ridgewood, having purchased a 250-acre (100 ha) property in 1698.
The Village of Ridgewood was created on November 20, 1894, with the same boundaries as Ridgewood Township, also in Bergen County. The Village became the municipal government while the Township remained a school district. In 1902, the village added portions of Orvil Township, which were returned to Orvil Township in 1915. In 1925, Ridgewood Village acquired area from Franklin Township (remainder now dissolved as Wyckoff). On February 9, 1971, Ridgewood acquired area from Washington Township. On May 28, 1974, it acquired area from Ho-Ho-Kus. The name of the village derives from the characteristics of its terrain.
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.
The Ridgewood post office opened in 1865, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Ridgewood rank for history?
Ridgewood is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns, #133 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 Ridgewood?
13 listings: 12 buildings and 1 historic district, the Paramus Reformed Church Historic District, with 3 contributing buildings. 18 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Ridgewood?
38% of Ridgewood’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.5 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1950.
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 (12), the Library of Congress (4), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (13), 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 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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