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B−History
History · Rochelle Park Township

Rochelle Park Township dates to 1871, and 17% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 48% of U.S. towns · #315 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

Its Register listing is the Cornelius Demarest House. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1880.

1871founded
1on the National Register
17%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Rochelle Park Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Rochelle Park Township began

When was Rochelle Park Township founded?

1871

Rochelle Park Township dates its founding to 1871 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 1,591 in 18802020 census: 5,814155 years

How historic is Rochelle Park Township?

B−

More historic than 48% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1873.
History grade

What drives Rochelle Park Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Rochelle Park Township is more historic than 48% of U.S. towns, #315 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 Rochelle Park Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1871, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194016.8% of homes (±8.4) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%BNational Register1 listing, 1.7 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 48%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 33%

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 Rochelle Park Township’s 1.7 sits near the middle of its state (40% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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 (±8.4 points). Two sources give 1871.

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 Rochelle Park Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18888 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1997. Watch Rochelle Park Township change.Old housesHalf of Rochelle Park Township’s homes were built before 1956.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Rochelle Park Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Rochelle Park Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo2 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewSamuel C. Demarest House, 12 Rochelle A…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Rochelle Park Township on the map, 1888 to 1997

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Rochelle Park Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Rochelle Park Township on the 1888 USGS mapRochelle Park Township on the 1892 USGS mapRochelle Park Township on the 1900 USGS mapRochelle Park Township on the 1934 USGS mapRochelle Park Township on the 1955 USGS mapRochelle Park Township on the 1970 USGS mapRochelle Park Township on the 1981 USGS mapRochelle Park Township on the 1997 USGS map1888Paterson 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 Rochelle Park Township.

The story so far

Rochelle Park Township, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Rochelle Park Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Rochelle Park is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 5,814, an increase of 284 (+5.1%) from the 2010 census count of 5,530, which in turn reflected an increase of two people (+0.0%) from the 5,528 counted in the 2000 census. What is now Rochelle Park was originally incorporated as Midland Township on March 7, 1871, from portions of New Barbadoes Township. Portions of the township were taken to form the boroughs of Delford (on March 8, 1894; now Oradell), Maywood (June 30, 1894), Riverside (also June 30, 1894; now River Edge) and Paramus (March 2, 1922). Rochelle Park was formed as a township by an a…

Rochelle Park Township was established in 1871. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 5,530 to 5,814 (+5%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Rochelle Park Township, 1871 to 1888

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1871
    FoundingRochelle Park Township is established
  3. 1873Post officeThe Rochelle Park post office opens
  4. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Rochelle Park Township, decade by decade

Date unknown2 to date
Samuel C. Demarest House, 12 Rochelle AvenueDate?Samuel C. Demarest House, 12 Rochelle AvenueLutkins House, Passaic StreetDate?Lutkins House, Passaic Street
Today12 recent
NYSW 3024sc2022NYSW 3024sc2021-08-08 19 26 05 A sunflower blooming along Howard Avenue in Rochelle Park Township, Bergen County, New Jersey20212021-08-08 19 26 05 A sunflower blooming along Howard…2020-11-05 21 32 16 House with Christmas decorations along Howard Avenue in Rochelle Park Township, Bergen County, New …20202020-11-05 21 32 16 House with Christmas decorations …2020-11-04 06 47 32 Zelkova roots along Harvey Avenue in Rochelle Park Township, Bergen County, New Jersey20202020-11-04 06 47 32 Zelkova roots along Harvey Avenue…Rochelle Park Station2011Rochelle Park StationRochelle Park, New Jersey2010Rochelle Park, New JerseyRochelle Park, New Jersey2010Rochelle Park, New JerseyRochelle Park, New Jersey2010Rochelle Park, New JerseyRochelle Park, New Jersey2010Rochelle Park, New JerseyCensus Bureau map of2008Census Bureau map ofMapNjmap-02542005Njmap-0254Rochelle Park, New Jersey2004Rochelle Park, New Jersey
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Samuel C. Demarest House, 12 Rochelle Avenue
Retake this viewSamuel C. Demarest House, 12 Rochelle Avenue

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Rochelle Park Township’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Rochelle Park Township

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1983
Cornelius Demarest House
Cornelius Demarest House
Buildings
Cornelius Demarest HouseBuilding

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Rochelle Park Township, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,0006,5007,00018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 6,380

Between 1,298 and 6,380 people in every census since 1880.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Rochelle Park Township’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Old corners and places now gone

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Rochelle Park
Gone or out of use
Saint Peters Churchchurch

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Saddle Brook TownshipIts storyBParamus6 historic placesCMaywood4 historic placesB+LodiIts storyCFair Lawn8 historic placesA−

Questions about Rochelle Park Township’s history

What year was Rochelle Park Township founded?

In 1871, according to Wikidata. Rochelle Park Township’s post office opened in 1873, and the census of 1880 counted 1,591 people here.

How does Rochelle Park Township rank for history?

Rochelle Park Township is more historic than 48% of U.S. towns, #315 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 Rochelle Park Township?

One place: the Cornelius Demarest House (listed 1983).

How old are the homes in Rochelle Park Township?

17% of Rochelle Park Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.4 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1956.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (2), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.