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Roselle Park StationPhoto: Adam Moss · CC BY-SA 2.0
CHistory
History · Roselle Park

Roselle Park dates to 1901, and 28% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 29% of U.S. towns · #407 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

Below: 15 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1910.

1901founded
0on the National Register
28%homes built before 1940
15old photos & papers
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Roselle Park’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Roselle Park began

When was Roselle Park founded?

1901

Roselle Park dates its founding to 1901 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1910.

First census: 3,138 in 19102020 census: 13,967125 years

How historic is Roselle Park?

C

More historic than 29% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Roselle Park’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Roselle Park is more historic than 29% of U.S. towns, #407 of 468 in New Jersey. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Roselle Park’s overall grade.
Founding era1901, from Wikidata: founded 1900–1944, an older era than 9% of U.S. townsDHomes built before 194028.0% of homes (±4.6) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%A−National RegisterNo listings counted · typical NJ town 3.7 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 29%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 13%

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 Roselle Park’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (12% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% 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 (±4.6 points). Two sources give 1901.

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 Roselle Park’s past

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

On the map since 18888 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1995. Watch Roselle Park change.A town in old photos15 old photos, postcards and papers, 1880–1917.Old housesHalf of Roselle Park’s homes were built before 1952.
★ What stands out · On the map

Roselle Park on the map, 1888 to 1995

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

Roselle Park on the 1888 USGS mapRoselle Park on the 1893 USGS mapRoselle Park on the 1905 USGS mapRoselle Park on the 1921 USGS mapRoselle Park on the 1955 USGS mapRoselle Park on the 1970 USGS mapRoselle Park on the 1981 USGS mapRoselle Park on the 1995 USGS map1888Plainfield 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 Roselle Park.

By decade

Roselle Park, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s–1910s15 items
1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - New Jersey (NJ) - Union County - Roselle Park - ED 20-193 to 20618801950 Census Enumeration District Maps - New Jersey (N…Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Doing war work in plant of Marconi Wireless Telephone Co., Aldene, New Jersey…1917Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Doing war w…Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Doing war work in plant of Marconi Wireless Telephone Co., Aldene, New Jersey…1917Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Doing war w…Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Doing war work in plant of Marconi Wireless Telephone Co., Aldene, New Jersey…1917Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Doing war w…Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Drill presses, main shop in Marconi Wireless Telephone Co., Aldene, New Jerse…1917Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Drill press…Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - General assembly department in plant of Marconi Wireless Telephone Co., Alden…1917Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - General ass…Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Lathe department in plant of Marconi Wireless Telephone Co., Aldene, New Jers…1917Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Lathe depar…Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Marconi Wireless Telephone Co., Aldene, New Jersey. View of factory from the …1917Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Marconi Wir…Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Milling machine department in plant of Marconi Wireless Telephone Co., Aldene…1917Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Milling mac…Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Potter and Johnson Automatics made in plant of Marconi Wireless Telephone Co.…1917Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Potter and …Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Receiver assembly department doing war work in plant of Marconi Wireless Tele…1917Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Receiver as…Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Screw machine department in plant of Marconi Wireless Telephone Co., Aldene, …1917Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Screw machi…Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Screw machine department in plant of Marconi Wireless Telephone Co., Aldene, …1917Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Screw machi…Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Switchboard assembly department in Marconi Wireless Telephone Co., Aldene, Ne…1917Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Switchboard…Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Transmitter assembly department in plant of Marconi Wireless Telephone Co., A…1917Industries of War - Machinery - Engines - Transmitter…
1920s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Today3 recent
Roselle Park PostOffice2007Roselle Park PostOfficeRoselle Park MunicipalComplex2007Roselle Park MunicipalComplexRoselle park nj 0392005Roselle park nj 039
The story

How Roselle Park came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Roselle Park.

Read it all →

The first known settlement within what is now the borough was built by Samuel Williams in 1700. Galloping Hill Road was continually used by revolutionary war scouts, delivering messages to and from General George Washington and Governor Livingston. Galloping Hill Road also believed to be the route traveled by the British columns en route to the Battle of Connecticut Farms, battling the New Jersey militia the entire way. Son of American general William Crane, was bayoneted and killed by the British near what is now Galloping Hill Road and Colonial Road.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Roselle Park, 1880 to 1971

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1880In the archive1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - New Jersey (NJ) - Union County - Roselle Park - E…
  3. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  4. 20th century
  5. 1901
    FoundingRoselle Park is established
  6. 1907Born hereJames J. Norris is born here
  7. 1917In the archiveIndustries of War - Machinery - Engines - Doing war work in plant of Marconi Wireless Tel…
  8. 1925Born hereEdmund Kara is born here
  9. 1936Born hereGregory Gillespie is born here
  10. 1971Born hereKeith Loneker is born here
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.

1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - New Jersey (NJ) - Union County - Roselle Park - ED 20-193 to 206
Retake this view1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - New Jersey (NJ) - Union County - Roselle Park - ED 20-193 to 206, 1880

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

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Roselle Park, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00014,000192019401960198020002020Peak: 14,277

Between 3,138 and 14,277 people in every census since 1910.

12 censuses, 1910–2020.

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

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Roselle Park

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Keith LonekerAmerican actor · b. 1971
Gregory GillespieAmerican artist · b. 1936
Edmund KaraAmerican artist · b. 1925
J
James J. NorrisAmerican advocate for refugees and migrants · b. 1907
Places that used to be

Old corners

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

Hamlets and corners on the map
AldeneRoselle

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Roselle Park’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old view1950 Census Enumeration District Maps -…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Kenilworth1 historic placeCElizabeth10 historic placesA+Cranford Township2 historic placesB

Questions about Roselle Park’s history

What year was Roselle Park founded?

In 1901, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1910 counted 3,138 people here.

How does Roselle Park rank for history?

Roselle Park is more historic than 29% of U.S. towns, #407 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.

How old are the homes in Roselle Park?

28% of Roselle Park’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.6 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1952.

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 (18), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.