Roxbury Township dates to 1740, and 12% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 88% of U.S. towns · #69 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
8 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 41 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1888 on and the census since 1810.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Roxbury Township is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #69 of 468 in New Jersey. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Roxbury Township’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 Roxbury Township’s 21.5 sits above most of its state (75% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 50 historic buildings outnumber those of 85% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1740.
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.
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 Roxbury Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost a third of its people between 1870 and 1880, then grew more than tenfold.
22 censuses, 1810–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Roxbury Township’s Wikipedia page.
The story so far
Roxbury Township, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Roxbury Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Roxbury is a township in western Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 22,950, a decrease of 374 (−1.6%) from the 2010 census count of 23,324, which in turn reflected a decline of 559 (−2.3%) from the 23,883 counted in the 2000 census. The township is located approximately 36 miles (58 km) west-northwest of New York City, 27 miles (43 km) west-northwest of Newark, New Jersey and 26 miles (42 km) east of the Delaware Water Gap on the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Roxbury was formed on December 24, 1740, from portions of Morris Township. It was formally incorporated by the Township Act of 1798 of the New Jer…
Roxbury Township was established in 1740. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 23,324 in 2010, 22,950 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Roxbury Township, 1740 to 2000
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Roxbury Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1888Lake Hopatcong 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 Roxbury Township.
On the National Register
8 listings protect 50 historic buildings
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.
In 1740, according to Wikidata. Roxbury Township’s post office opened in 1808, and the census of 1810 counted 1,563 people here.
How does Roxbury Township rank for history?
Roxbury Township is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #69 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 Roxbury Township?
8 listings: 6 buildings, among them the Carey, Lewis, Farmhouse (listed 1977, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Cary Station and the Ledgewood Historic District, with 41 contributing buildings. 50 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Roxbury Township?
12% of Roxbury Township’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 1971.
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 Wikidata (5), the National Register of Historic Places (8), 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.
