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AHistory
History · Springfield Township

Springfield Township dates to 1688, and 13% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 88% of U.S. towns · #76 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

6 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 3 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1888 on and the census since 1810.

1688founded
6on the National Register
13%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Springfield Township began

When was Springfield Township founded?

1688

Springfield Township dates its founding to 1688 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1810.

First census: 1,500 in 18102020 census: 3,245338 years

How historic is Springfield Township?

A

More historic than 88% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1812.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Springfield Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Springfield Township is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #76 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 Springfield Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1688, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 194012.5% of homes (±4.1) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register6 listings, 8 historic buildings, 24.6 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 88%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 84%

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 Springfield Township’s 24.6 sits above most of its state (76% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 8 historic buildings outnumber those of 74% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1688.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.1 points).

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 Springfield 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 writtenNo old photos of Springfield Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost a third of its people between 1880 and 1920, then more than doubled.On the map since 18888 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1981. Watch Springfield Township change.Lost villages1 post office opened and closed inside today’s Springfield Township, and 9 old place names are still on the map.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Springfield Township’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Springfield Township, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,50018501900195020001,886 in 1880Low: 1,223

Lost a third of its people between 1880 and 1920, then more than doubled.

22 censuses, 1810–2020.

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

On the map

Springfield Township on the map, 1888 to 1981

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

Springfield Township on the 1888 USGS mapSpringfield Township on the 1893 USGS mapSpringfield Township on the 1906 USGS mapSpringfield Township on the 1918 USGS mapSpringfield Township on the 1948 USGS mapSpringfield Township on the 1957 USGS mapSpringfield Township on the 1970 USGS mapSpringfield Township on the 1981 USGS map1888Bordentown 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 Springfield Township.

The story

How Springfield Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Springfield Township.

Read it all →

Springfield was originally formed on November 6, 1688, and reformed by Royal charter on January 13, 1713. Springfield Township was incorporated by the Township Act of 1798 of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships. Portions of the township were taken on December 2, 1723, to form New Hanover Township. The township's name derives from springs and brooks in the area.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Springfield Township, 1688 to 2010

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

  1. 17th century
  2. 1688
    FoundingSpringfield Township is established
  3. 18th century
  4. 1727BuiltUpper Springfield Meetinghouse is built
  5. 19th century
  6. 1805Born hereJoseph Pancoast is born here
  7. 1812Post officeThe Juliustown post office opens
  8. 1817Post officeThe Jobstown post office opens
  9. 1829Post officeThe Jacksonville post office opens
  10. 1830Born hereReading Wood Black is born here
  11. 1853BuiltOakwood is built
  12. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  13. 20th century
  14. 1908Post officeThe Jacksonville post office closes
  15. 21st century
  16. 2010CensusPopulation peaks at 3,414
By decade

Springfield Township, decade by decade

Today10 recent
2014-08-29 14 37 59 Roses along U.S. Route 206 in Springfield Township, New Jersey20142014-08-29 14 37 59 Roses along U.S. Route 206 in Spr…2014-08-29 14 37 56 Roses along U.S. Route 206 in Springfield Township, New Jersey20142014-08-29 14 37 56 Roses along U.S. Route 206 in Spr…2014-08-29 14 37 42 Roses along U.S. Route 206 in Springfield Township, New Jersey20142014-08-29 14 37 42 Roses along U.S. Route 206 in Spr…2014-08-29 14 37 39 Roses along U.S. Route 206 in Springfield Township, New Jersey20142014-08-29 14 37 39 Roses along U.S. Route 206 in Spr…2014-08-29 14 37 32 Rose bushes along U.S. Route 206 in Springfield Township, New Jersey20142014-08-29 14 37 32 Rose bushes along U.S. Route 206 …2014-08-29 14 37 13 Rose bushes along U.S. Route 206 in Springfield Township, New Jersey20142014-08-29 14 37 13 Rose bushes along U.S. Route 206 …2014-08-29 14 34 42 Mulberry sapling with odd leaf yellowing along U.S. Route 206 in Springfield Township, New Jersey20142014-08-29 14 34 42 Mulberry sapling with odd leaf ye…2014-08-29 14 34 38 Mulberry sapling with odd leaf yellowing along U.S. Route 206 in Springfield Township, New Jersey20142014-08-29 14 34 38 Mulberry sapling with odd leaf ye…HelisStockFarm12011HelisStockFarm1Map of Burlington County highlighting Springfield Township2004Map of Burlington County highlighting Springfield Tow…Map
On the National Register

6 historic places in Springfield Township

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

places listed
6
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
8
each building in a district counts
first listed
1973
Arney's Mount Friends Meetinghouse and Burial G…
Arney's Mount Friends Meetinghouse and Burial GroundJohn Irick HouseOakwood, built 1853Upper Springfield Meetinghouse, built 1727William Ridgeway HouseRosebud Farm
BuildingsDistricts
Arney's Mount Friends Meetinghouse and Burial GroundBuilding
John Irick HouseBuilding
OakwoodBuilt 1853
Upper Springfield MeetinghouseBuilt 1727
William Ridgeway HouseBuilding
All 6 listings
Rosebud FarmDistrict · listed 1979

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Springfield Township

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

See all →
Joseph PancoastAmerican surgeon · b. 1805
R
Reading Wood BlackFounder of Uvalde County, Texas · b. 1830
Places that used to be

Lost post offices and old corners

Another post office, Jacksonville, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Juliustown
1812–today
Jobstown
1817–today
Jacksonville
1829–1908
18101920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Arneys MountChambers CornersFolwellJacksonvilleJobstownJuliustownPine LaneSpringfieldTilghmans Corner

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.

Mansfield Township1 historic placeA−Florence Township3 historic placesA−Burlington Township4 historic placesAChesterfield Township7 historic placesBNorth Hanover TownshipIts storyDPemberton Township4 historic placesBJuliustownIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townWrightstownIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Springfield Township’s history

What year was Springfield Township founded?

In 1688, according to Wikidata. Springfield Township’s post office opened in 1812, and the census of 1810 counted 1,500 people here.

How does Springfield Township rank for history?

Springfield Township is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #76 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 Springfield Township?

6 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Arney's Mount Friends Meetinghouse and Burial Ground (listed 1973, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Upper Springfield Meetinghouse and the Rosebud Farm, with 3 contributing buildings. 8 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Springfield Township?

13% of Springfield Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.1 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1980.

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 (10), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (6), 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) 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.